LEADER OF THE HOUSE

IT Support

Vincent Cable: To ask the Leader of the House how much the contract for IT support for hon. Members cost in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: The total cash cost of Members IT (including the contract currently held by Dell and previously held by Computacenter) has been:
	
		
			  Members' IT equipment and support 
			   Amount (£) 
			 2002-03 1,230 
			 2003-04 792 
			 2004-05 725 
			 2005-06 2,094 
		
	
	Desk top IT equipment has a life expectancy of around four years. The spend profile will reflect major upgrade and replacement programmes; for example, the 2005 general election gave rise to the higher spend on Members' IT equipment in 2005-06.

IT Support

Vincent Cable: To ask the Leader of the House which company holds the contract to provide IT support for hon. Members.

Jack Straw: Since the general election of 2005, Dell holds the contract for the supply and support of desktop hardware and peripherals for hon. Members. The Parliamentary ICT Service (PICT) provides support for centrally provided software packages and first line support for centrally provided hardware.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Alzheimer's Disease

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect on his Department's expenditure on social security benefits of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's decision to withdraw eligibility of those suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's disease to have the drugs  (a) Donepezil,  (b) Rivastigmine and  (c) Galantamine prescribed on the NHS.

Anne McGuire: Changes in the prescribing arrangements for people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease are unlikely to have any effects on the Department's expenditure.

Benefits

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each constituency in Scotland were in receipt of  (a) housing benefit,  (b) disability living allowance and  (c) council tax benefit in each year since 1997; and how much was claimed of each benefit in each constituency in each year.

Anne McGuire: Information about housing benefit and council tax benefit is not broken down below local authority level.
	The information on disability living allowance has been placed in the Library.

Christmas Bonus

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the total costs of administering the Christmas bonus for pensionersin each year since 1980-81; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: This information is not available.
	The costs of administering the Christmas bonus are not separately identifiable, as it is paid in combination with pensioners' weekly entitlement.

Database Breaches

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many confirmed security breaches of databases controlled by his Department occurred in each of the last five years; whether the breach resulted from internal or external sources in each case; how many records were compromised on each occasion; and what estimate was made of the total number of records accessible to the individuals concerned.

Anne McGuire: There have been no recorded security incidents of this type from external sources within the period since January 2001. However, as the table shows, 1,142 incidences of staff using legitimate access to databases to browse data for which they had no business requirement are recorded. Neither the number of records accessed on each occasion nor the potential number of records accessible is recorded.
	
		
			   Number of incidents 
			 2001 56 
			 2002 299 
			 2003 172 
			 2004 242 
			 2005 373 
			 Total 1,142

Departmental Call Centres

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what telephony equipment intended to protect employees from noise events and acoustic incidents has been procured by his Department's call centres.

Anne McGuire: GN Netcom2100 headsets are in use in all DWP business units. The Child Support Agency's National Helplines and Jobcentre Plus contact centres also use Plantronics Supra mono headsets; and The Pension Service also use GN Netcom2200 duo and mono and GN Netcom cordless headsets. Staff in DCS and Pension Service centres have also been supplied with GN8210 amplifiers.

Departmental Call Centres

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees in his Department's call centres have reported  (a) headset noise interference and  (b) acoustic incidents while at work over the last two years; and how many of those employees have had sickness absence exceeding three days as a consequence.

Anne McGuire: As incidents are handled locally only limited information is available centrally and it is not always possible to identify whether reports relate to contact centre staff. The following information is available for the past two years: Jobcentre Plus, ten reports one of which led to sick absence (duration not known); The Pension Service, two reports one of which led to a sick absence of over three days; and the Disability and Carers Service contact centres, ninety six reports one of which led to a sick absence in excess of three days.

Departmental Expenditure

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by his Department on television advertisements in the last year for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: For the financial year 2005-06 the Department for Work and Pensions spent £1,987,000 on television advertising for the Targeting Benefit Fraud campaign. The Department did not run any other television advertisements.
	 Notes:
	1. The figure refers to media spend only, excluding production, direct mail, public relations and other costs.
	2. The figure has been rounded to the nearest thousand.
	3. The figure is net of VAT.

Departmental Mail

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of the Department's mail is shipped using private companies; and what the cost was over 12 months.

Anne McGuire: The percentage of mail shipped using private companies is 11 per cent. This is made up of8 per cent. via a courier contract and 3 per cent. via alternative mail providers. The total expenditure over the last 12 months was £7.9 million.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's annual budget is for employing workers on a consultancy basis; and how much of this budget was used in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) do not set annual budgets for employing workers on a consultancy basis at departmental level.
	Expenditure for the last five years for employing workers on a consultancy basis is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2001-02 94.46 
			 2002-03 141.04 
			 2003-04 306.72 
			 2004-05 168.37 
			 2005-06 130.29

Departmental Staff

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of staff employed in the top five grades of his Department have  (a) a graduate qualification in IT and  (b) previous employment as an IT specialist.

Anne McGuire: The answer is in the following table:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 DWP SCS who have graduate qualifications in IT 9 
			 DWP SCS who have previous employment as an IT specialist 13

Financial Assistance Scheme

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have received payment from the Financial Assistance Scheme; and how many payments have been made from the scheme in each month for which figures are available.

James Purnell: As at 17 November 2006, the Financial Assistance Scheme had paid 557 people.44 more people will be paid as soon as they have confirmed their personal details and a further 133 have been assessed and will be paid when they reach age 65.
	The following monthly figures are available up to and including 17 November 2006:
	
		
			  Number of payments—December 2005 to October 2006 
			   New payments  Cumulative total 
			  2005   
			 December 13 13 
			  2006   
			 January 2 15 
			 February 12 27 
			 March 5 32 
			 April 11 43 
			 May 43 86 
			 June 58 144 
			 July 66 210 
			 August 76 286 
			 September 108 394 
			 October 60 454 
			 November(1) 103 557 
			 Total 557  
			 (1) Up to 17th.

Housing Benefit

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Work and Pensions whether he has made an assessment of the effect of the recent Social Security Commissioners' ruling on housing benefit on registered social landlord tenants with learning difficulties.

James Plaskitt: The Social Security Commissioner's ruling concerned the rules for specialist accommodation for which the pre-1996 rent restriction scheme has been preserved. The commissioner decided that the rent restriction scheme introduced in 1996 should be used in certain cases as the accommodation did not fall intothe pre-1996 exempt categories.
	The commissioner decided on the plain interpretation of the regulations as advocated by DWP, and so the housing benefit rules for registered social landlord tenants with learning difficulties have not changed.

International Pension Officers

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how international pension officers overseas are recruited; where the positions are advertised; and what qualifications and experience are required for an overseas posting.

Anne McGuire: Overseas international pension service officers are either seconded from the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate or recruited locally by the relevant British mission.
	Posts are advertised and filled using the relevant Department or mission's normal recruitment methods. There are no formal qualifications for these posts, but demonstration of a range of competencies including communication and written skills, analytical abilities and working with others is required.

Light Bulbs

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of light bulbs purchased by his Department in 2005 were of the compact fluorescent type.

Anne McGuire: As the majority of lighting on the Department's estate is provided by functional fittings that use straight fluorescent tubes of varying lengths there is little scope to replace these with compact fluorescent.
	Consequently, compact fluorescent bulbs represent 15 per cent. of those purchased.

Local Housing Allowance Pathfinders

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to implement the commitment given in the Welfare Reform Bill's Regulatory Impact Assessment that the Government will review the evaluation findings from the Local Housing Allowance Pathfinders for under 25 year olds before finalising proposals for the regulations following from the Bill.

Jim Murphy: Before finalising the secondary legislation following from the Welfare Reform Bill, the Government will take account of all relevant research, including the final Local Housing Allowance Pathfinder evaluation, as well as the debates that will have taken place in the Commons and in the Lords.
	However the majority of the Pathfinder evaluation reports were available, and considered, at Commons Committee stage of the Bill, where the Government confirmed that the commitment to the principles behind the benefit rules for under 25 year olds remains.

Ministerial Travel

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to offset the carbon dioxide emissions caused by ministerial travel in his Department.

Anne McGuire: All central Government ministerial and official air travel is being offset from 1 April 2006. Departmental aviation emissions are calculated on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to a central fund. The fund purchases Certified Emissions Reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with sustainable development benefits, in developing countries.
	DWP has developed data collection systems to ensure that all aviation emissions are captured, enabling the Department to offset its carbon emissions caused by official air travel using the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund, details of which can be found on the climate change pages of the DEFRA website:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/carboncost/carbon-offsetting/index.htm

Pension Credit

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the proportion of the target group for the new personal pensions which will be entitled to pension credit in  (a) 2040 and  (b) 2050; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: The projections published in the White Paper "Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pensions System" do not model the effects of personal accounts. We will be publishing a White Paper on personal accounts shortly.

Pension Credit

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioner households in City of York constituency receive pension credit; what the average value of pension credit of those households is; and how many pensioners live in those households.

James Purnell: 4,440 households in the City of York constituency were receiving pension credit as at August 2006, with an average weekly payment of £40.71.
	 Notes:
	1. The figure provided is an early estimate. The preferred data source for figures supplied by DWP is the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS). However, the figure provided isthe latest available figure which is taken from the GMS scanat 1 September 2006. These are adjusted using the historical relationship between WPLS and GMS data to give an estimate of the final WPLS figure.
	2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the 2005 postcode directory.
	3. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10.
	4. Average weekly payments are shown as pounds per week and rounded to the nearest penny.
	5. Households are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.
	 Source: DWP 100 per cent. data from the Generalised Matching Service (QMS) Pension Credit scan taken as at 1 September 2006.

Pension Credit

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in each ward of Wantage constituency are in receipt of pension credit.

James Purnell: The answer is in the following table.
	
		
			  Households in receipt of pension credit in each ward of Wantage constituency—May 2006 
			  Ward name  Households 
			 Brightwell 65 
			 Cholsey and Wallingford South 115 
			 Didcot All Saints 160 
			 Didcot Ladygrove 45 
			 Didcot Northbourne 135 
			 Didcot Park 240 
			 Hagbourne 65 
			 Wallingford North 250 
			 Appleton and Cumnor 140 
			 Blewbury and Upton 50 
			 Craven 80 
			 Drayton 75 
			 Faringdon and The Coxwells 275 
			 Greendown 60 
			 Grove 160 
			 Hanneys 50 
			 Harwell 80 
			 Hendreds 120 
			 Kingston Bagpuize with Southmoor 35 
			 Longworth 60 
			 Marcham and Shippon 70 
			 Shrivenham 115 
			 Stanford 85 
			 Sunningwell and Wootton 130 
			 Sutton Courtenay and Appleford 80 
			 Wantage Charlton 215 
			 Wantage Segsbury 100 
			 Wantage constituency total 2,780 
			  Notes: 1. Caseloads are rounded to a multiple of five. 2. Only part of Appleton and Cumnor and Sunningwell and Wooton wards are in Wantage parliamentary constituency. 3. Because of 1. and 2., wards will not always sum to constituency totals. 4. Wards are based on 2003 ward boundaries. 5. Households recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.  Source: DWP 100 per cent. data: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Pension Protection Fund

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will amend the rules governing the Capping Regulations of the Pension Protection Fund to bring within the remit of the fund those people who took early retirement before April 2005; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: We have carefully considered the issues that have been raised by and on behalf of a number of early retirees, including whether to change the legislation which sets a cap on the compensation payable. We have taken particular account of the need for PPF compensation to balance fairness to scheme members, and remain affordable for pension schemes paying the PPF levy. We have concluded that changing the PPF compensation rules would advantage one group of scheme members compared to other groups, and could increase the cost of the PPF. We do not, therefore, propose to change PPF legislation at this time.
	If a pension scheme enters the PPF, early retirees who took early retirement before April 2005 will be eligible for a 90 per cent. level of compensation, which is capped, as will the majority of people below their scheme's normal pension age.

Pensioner Households (Bristol, East)

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioner households in Bristol, East constituency are receiving  (a) pension credit and  (b) pension savings credit; and what the(i) highest and (ii) average amount awarded is.

James Purnell: The requested information is below.
	
		
			  Table 1: The number of households in receipt of Pension Credit by type in Bristol, East and the average weekly payments—May 2006 
			  Type of pension credit  Number of household recipients  Average weekly payments (£) 
			 Guarantee credit only 1,550 80.74 
			 Savings credit only 1,020 12.05 
			 Guarantee credit and savings credit 2,350 46.16 
			 All 4,920 49.96 
			  Notes: 1. The pension credit is made up of two elements, guarantee credit and savings credit. An individual can receive one or both guarantee credit and savings credit. 2. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the 2005 postcode directory. 4. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. 5. Average weekly payments are shown as pounds per week and rounded to the nearest penny.  Source: DWP 100 per cent. data: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: The highest award amounts for pension credit in Bristol, East—May 2006 
			  Type of pension credit  £ 
			 Guarantee credit 174.05 
			 Savings credit 23.58 
			  Source: DWP Information Directorate: five per cent. sample data

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of the basic state pension in each quarter from the first quarter of 1990 to the third quarter of 2006; how many lived abroad in each period; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: The information requested is not available. Such information as is available is in the following table.
	
		
			   GB total  Overseas total 
			 March 2006 10,429,200 973,900 
			 September 2005 10,416,200 964,100 
			 March 2005 10,450,300 971,900 
			 September 2004 10,408,800 964,800 
			 March 2004 10,313,400 948,400 
			 September 2003 10,291,500 931,000 
			 March 2003 10,225,800 912,400 
			 September 2002 10,197,400 895,300 
			 March 2002 10,149,300 872,600 
			 September 2001 10,146,500 870,400 
			 March 2001 10,087,200 850,800 
			 September 2000 10,069,600 842,400 
			 March 2000 10,034,000 826,100 
			 September 1999 10,013,200 821,100 
			 March 1999 9,938,800 792,200 
			 September 1998 — — 
			 March 1998 9,839,400 773,600 
			 September 1997 9,800,700 759,400 
			 March 1997 9,700,400 747,500 
			 September 1996 9,680,500 731,800 
			 March 1996 9,575,400 718,900 
			 September 1 995 9,548,200 703,200 
			 March 1995 9,469,300 685,200 
			  Notes: 1. Data are taken from 5 per cent. sample, therefore figures are subject to a degree of sampling variation. They are also adjusted to be consistent with the overall caseload from the WPLS. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 3. No data for September 1998 are available. 4. Basic state pension data are not available prior to March 1995.  Source: DWP Information Directorate

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total pension liabilities are of his Department and the agencies for which he is responsible; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Information on the most recent estimate of unfunded liability for the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme is available in the Resource Accounts 2005-06 of Cabinet Office: Civil Superannuation, a copy of which is available in the Library for the reference of Members. This contains details of the present value of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme's liabilities at 31 March 2006 and the discount rate assumption.
	Cabinet Office do not think it practicable to break down the schemes liabilities by Department.

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State forWork and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of compensation which would need to be paid to those identified in the Ombudsman's report "Trusting in the Pensions Promise" who would experience diminutions in their pensions if Pension Protection Fund compensation rules were applied.

James Purnell: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to him on 30 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 1204-05W.

Pensions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the timetable is for reinstating the earnings link for uprating the basic state pension.

James Purnell: The White Paper "Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pensions System" states that the earnings link will be restored to the basic state pension. The objective is that this will be done, subject to affordability and the fiscal position, in 2012 but in any event at the latest by the end of the next Parliament. We have said that we will make a statement on the precise date at the beginning of the next Parliament.
	This commitment is set out in the Pensions Bill which was published on 29 November.

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of people saving in the new personal pensions will face withdrawal rates on savings income of  (a) over 30 per cent.,  (b) over 40 per cent. and  (c) 100 per cent.; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: The projections published in the White Paper "Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pensions System" do not model the effects of personal accounts. We will be publishing a White Paper on personal accounts shortly.

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the likely average annual growth rate in real terms of state pension expenditure for the period 2005-06 to 2020-21; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: It is estimated that the likely average annual growth rate in real terms of state pension expenditure for the period 2005-06 to 2020-21 will be 3.0 per cent.
	 Notes:
	1. State pension expenditure is defined here as expenditure on both basic state pension and additional pension.
	2. The figure includes the expected impact of the Pensions Bill published on 29 November.

Poverty Statistics

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which constituency has the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest number of pensioners living in poverty.

James Purnell: The information requested is not available.

Winter Fuel Payment

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the value of the winter fuel payment was in each year since its introduction, in  (a) cash terms and  (b) real terms using 2004-05 prices.

James Purnell: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Value of winter fuel payments 
			   Cash terms (£)  Real terms using 2004-05 prices (£) 
			 1997-98 (not in receipt of income-related benefit) 20 24 
			 1997-98 (in receipt of income-related benefit) 50 59 
			 1998-99 (not in receipt of income-related benefit) 20 23 
			 1998-99 (in receipt of income-related benefit) 50 58 
			 1999-2000 100 113 
			 2000-01 200 223 
			 2001-02 200 218 
			 2002-03 200 212 
			 2003-04 ( 60-79 age rate) 200 206 
			 2003-04 (80 or over age rate) 300 308 
			 2004-05 (60-79 age rate) 200 200 
			 2004-05 (80 or over age rate) 300 300 
			 2005-06 (60-79 age rate) 200 196 
			 2005-06 (80 or over age rate) 300 294 
			 2006-07 (60-79 age rate) 200 192 
			 2006-07 (80 or over age rate) 300 287 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for 1997-98 to 2005-06 obtained using GDP deflator series from ONS. 2. Figures for 2006-07 obtained using HM Treasury assumptions. 3. For the years 1997-98 and 1998-99 the winter fuel payment was 20 or 50 for people receiving a pensioner premium in the income-related benefits. 4. The extra £100 for people aged 80 or over was introduced in winter 2003-04.

Winter Fuel Payment

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people  (a) between 60 and79 years and  (b) aged 80 years or over qualified for(i) the lower rate and (ii) the upper rate of winter fuel payments in each year since its introduction.

James Purnell: Information relating to winter fuel payments for the winters of 1997-98 and 1998-99 is not available. The information from 1999-2000 is in the following table.
	An age breakdown is only available from winter 2002-03. The higher rate winter fuel payment of up to an additional £100 to people aged 80 or over was introduced in winter 2003-04.
	
		
			   Age  Number of lower rate payments made(£200/£100)  Number of higher rate payments made (additional £100/£50) 
			 1999-2000 60 or over 10,084,130 n/a 
			 2000-01 60 or over 11,105,750 n/a 
			 2001-02 60 or over 11,201,900 n/a 
			 2002-03 60-79 9,062,370 n/a 
			  80 or over 2,285,670 n/a 
			 2003-04 60-79 9,132,830 0 
			  80 or over 2,335,410 2,335,410 
			 2004-05 60-79 9,087,940 0 
			  80 or over 2,313,240 2,313,240 
			 2005-06 60-79 9,188,340 0 
			  80 or over 2,342,780 2,342,780 
			 n/a = not applicable  Source:  Information Directorate 100 per cent. sample.

Winter Fuel Payment

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of winter fuel payments were made to recipients in  (a) November,  (b) December,  (c) January and  (d) February and after in each year since its introduction.

James Purnell: The vast majority of winter fuel payments are made automatically throughout the month of November. Additional payment runs are made in December, February, March and June for customers who make a successful claim for a winter fuel payment before the cut off date of 31 March.
	Information on the proportion of payments made for the years 1997-98 to 2000-01 is not available. Information on the years from 2001-02 is in the following table.
	
		
			  Month of payment  Proportion of payments made (per cent.) 
			  2001-02  
			 November 99.31 
			 December 0 
			 February 1.18 
			 March 0.31 
			 June 0.20 
			   
			  2002-03  
			 November 99.20 
			 December 0.28 
			 February 0.29 
			 March 0.18 
			 June 0.05 
			   
			  2003-04  
			 November 99.28 
			 December 0.25 
			 February 0.19 
			 March 0.17 
			 June 0.11 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 November 99.46 
			 December 0.15 
			 February 0.15 
			 March 0.12 
			 June 0.12 
			   
			  2005-06  
			 November 99.14 
			 December 0.41 
			 February 0.18 
			 March 0.13 
			 June 0.14 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for this year's payments are not yet available. 2. The December payment run was introduced in 2002-03.  Source:  Annual EDS payment statistics, as supplied to the winter fuel planning and Implementation Team.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Freedom of Information Act

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many requests for information the House authorities have received under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 from  (a) hon. Members and  (b) others since 1 January 2005; and how many of the requests were (i) fully met, (ii) met in part and (iii) not met in each case.

Nick Harvey: The following information relates to requests logged up to the end of November 2006:
	 (a) Since January 2005 the House has received six requests from hon. Members. One request was fully met, two were met in part and three were not met.
	 (b) Overall the House has logged 367 requests. Of the 307 cases where it was deemed that the House held the information requested, 122 were fully met, 76 were met in part and 109 were not met.

Select Committees (Public Admittance)

Kate Hoey: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether consideration has been given to the introduction of a numbered ticketing system for members of the public who wish to attend select committee meetings; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: Consideration has not been given to the introduction of a numbered ticketing system for members of the public who wish to attend select committee meetings. There is currently no awareness of demand for such a system.

Theft

David Jones: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many incidents of theft of the property of  (a) hon. Members and  (b) hon. Members' staff have been notified to the House authorities in each of the last three years.

Nick Harvey: The following figures show the total numbers of thefts across the parliamentary estate and the number of thefts from hon. Members. Separate records of thefts from hon. Members' staff are not kept and these are included in "other thefts".
	
		
			   Thefts from hon. Members  Other thefts  Total thefts 
			 2004 4 29 33 
			 2005 5 15 20 
			 2006 2 19 21

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Court Cases

Margaret Moran: To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases were not proceeded with at court as a result of non-appearance of Crown Prosecution Service witnesses in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) Luton in the last 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: The following table shows the number of defendants whose case resulted in an unsuccessful outcome because a prosecution witness failed to attend court unexpectedly in each of the last three years.
	
		
			   CPS England and Wales  CPS Luton 
			 2004-05 8,473 102 
			 2005-06 8,408 138 
			 2006-07(1) 5,905 78 
			 (1 )1 April to 4 December 2006.

Martin Allen

Norman Baker: To ask the Solicitor-General when a decision is expected in respect of the police report submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service in the case of Martin Allen.

Mike O'Brien: An Advice file was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) inSeptember 2005. As a result an extensive and complex investigation has been conducted by the Metropolitan police. As the case is on-going I am unable to go into the details of those enquiries at this stage.
	In giving a charging decision, the CPS must consider whether or not there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that it is in the public interest to commence a prosecution. The CPS has asked that they be provided with further material they consider essential prior to reaching a fully informed decision in this case. I regret that it is not possible to estimate when the CPS will be in a position to make a final charging decision, although they are fully aware of the necessity to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who the members are of the England Implementation Group looking at the animal health and welfare strategy.

Ben Bradshaw: The membership of the England Implementation Group looking at the animal health and welfare strategy is as follows:
	Helen Browning (Chair)
	Richard Bennett
	Tim Brigstocke
	Chris Brown
	Neil Cutler
	Nigel Durnford
	Stewart Houston
	Peter Jinman
	Diane McCrea
	Martin Potter
	Peter Scott
	Dick Sibley
	Sarah Wolfensohn
	Further information is available on the DEFRA website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/ahws/eig/member.htm

Animal Welfare

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what factors were taken into account when deciding on the length of the consultation on the draft Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) Regulations and the draft Docking of Working Dogs' Tails (England) Regulations.

Ben Bradshaw: The length of the consultation was influenced by the need to bring the regulations into force at the same time as the Animal Welfare Act in April 2007. As this consultation does not contain any major policy changes that have not already been made public, we consider that an eight-week period is acceptable. This complies with Cabinet Office guidance.

Animal Welfare

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will estimate how many veterinary surgeons are willing to undertake tail docking.

Ben Bradshaw: DEFRA has made no such estimate and has no plans to do so. It is up to individual veterinary surgeons to decide whether to perform this procedure.

Energy Efficiency

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Government has put aside to help fund insulation schemes.

Ian Pearson: The Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) requires energy suppliers to meet targets for the promotion of improvements in household energy efficiency. Under the EEC, insulation work may be installed and the first phase of the EEC (2002-05) resulted in £600 million worth of investment in energy efficiency.
	During the first half of the current phase of the EEC (2005-08), which is expected to deliver twice as much activity as the first phase, 88 per cent. of energy supplier activity was through insulation measures. The 2006 climate change programme announced that the EEC target will be increased by 50-100 per cent. for EEC3 (2008-11).
	The Government-funded Warm Front Scheme, which is the key programme in tackling fuel poverty in England, provides for the installation of insulation measures in qualifying households, where they are recommended. Total fuel poverty funding over the 2005-08 period will be over £800 million, with the vast majority being for the Warm Front Scheme.
	The Government have also introduced a reduced rate of value added tax for professionally installed insulation measures.

Flood Prevention

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether changes have been made to his Department's 2006-07 budget for flood prevention.

Ian Pearson: The Environment Agency's total flood risk management grant in aid budget from Defra for 2006-07 will be £413 million against £428 million originally allocated. The capital budget, which delivers improved flood defences, has not been charged. Equally, the budgets for capital schemes by local authorities and internal drainage boards are not affected.

Forestry Commission

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will revise the terms of reference of the statutory consultation on the Renewables Obligation Order 2007 to take account of the Forestry Commission's most recent figures on the peak value of softwood availability; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: A statutory consultation on the Renewables Obligation Order 2007 began on 9 October 2006. It is available in full through the following link:
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/consultations/page34162.html
	The Government will consider the Forestry Commission's report "United Kingdom: New Forecast of Softwood Availability" as part of the statutory consultation on the Renewables Obligation Order 2007. The consultation closes on 15 December 2006. All responses and other relevant information will be considered together at that point.

GM Animals

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will issue further guidance on the breeding of genetically modified animals.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has no plans to issue further guidance. However, the production of a genetically modified animal, with the intention of substantially altering its nature, is controlled under the terms of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. This Act is widely viewed as the most rigorous piece of legislation of its type in the world. There are also provisions in the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000 and in Northern Ireland the Welfare of Farmed Animals regulations (NI) 2000 to address the welfare concerns arising from both natural and artificial breeding procedures.

Ministerial Meetings

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions he has met the  (a) chair and  (b) chief executive of (i) British Waterways, (ii) the Environment Agency and (iii) Natural England since July 2006; and where each meeting took place.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 5 December 2006
	The Secretary of State has met the chair and/or chief executive of British Waterways on 25 July, 4 September and 23 November on each occasion in London. He has met the chair and/or chief executive on the Environment Agency on 25 July, 27 July, 4 September, 6 September, 17 October, 8 November, 9 November,20 November and 23 November on each occasion in London. He has met the chair and/or chief executive of Natural England on 4 September, 11 October,7 November and 23 November on each occasion in London. He has also seen other members and practical examples of the work of these organisations while on regional visits.

National Fallen Stock Company

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the future of the National Fallen Stock Company.

Ben Bradshaw: We intend to issue a response to the Bansback review on the future of the National Fallen Stock Company early in the new year.

Rights of Way

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure local authorities keep bridleways accessible, signposted and maintained.

Barry Gardiner: The statutory best value performance management framework requires local authorities to review their functions, publish annual performance plans and be subject to an audit and inspection regime. There is currently one performance indicator measuring the ease of use of rights of way.
	In addition, under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, all highway authorities must prepare a rights of way improvement plan. This must set out how they intend to identify the changes to be made to improve their local rights of way network, including better provision for equestrians.

Woodland

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken to promote sustainable and effective management of private owners' woodland; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: In 2002 the Forestry Commission published its response to the recommendations of the Sustaining England's Woodlands Review Steering Group. This group had been asked to review the support for sustainable management of existing woodlands and forests in accordance with the priorities of the Forestry Strategy for England and taking into account the UK Forestry Standard. The Forestry Commission agreed to implement 67 actions and in April 2006 they published a progress report. I have arranged for a copy of the progress report to be placed in the Library. It is also available on the Forestry Commission's website at:
	http://www.forestry.gov.uk/england-sew
	Underpinning our support for sustainable management and the delivery of public benefits are the six elements of the Forestry Commission's English Woodland Grant Scheme. These are:
	Woodland Creation Grant to support the creation of properly designed and well located new woodlands.
	Woodland Assessment Grant to support the gathering of specific information to improve management decisions.
	Woodland Management Planning Grant to support the preparation of plans that meet the UK Woodland Assurance Standard.
	Woodland Management Grant to support the basic management activities that underpin woodland sustainability.
	Woodland Regeneration Grant to support desirable changes in the delivery of public benefits from woodland after felling.
	Woodland Improvement Grant to create and sustain an increase in the quality of woodlands.
	In addition Defra's Higher Level Stewardship offers certain grant options for the maintenance and improvement of smaller scale farm woodland and larger woodlands that are normally grazed as part of a farming system.

Woodland

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the cost of an acre of woodland in each year since 1988; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: Comprehensive statistics on woodland prices are not available. Unlike agricultural land price statistics, the value of woodland incorporates the changing value of the timber growing stock, as well as the underlying land value and specific factors that attract buyers. Since 1993 the Forestry Commission's annual reports and accounts have shown a total value for the Public Forest Estate, which has been independently valued every five years since then. This is best indication we have of the changing cost of woodland over time. The open market values and the area of forest are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   1993  1998  2003 
			 GB area (thousand hectares) 882 834 787 
			 Value (£ million) 1,413 1,482 819 
			 Unit value (£ per hectare) 1,602 1,777 1,041 
			  Note: One hectare equals 2.471 acres

TRANSPORT

Blue Badges

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether his Department is  (a) investigating and  (b) taking action against local authorities for failure to ensure that blue badges for disabled parking are correctly issued;
	(2)  what action his Department takes against local authorities that do not ensure that blue badges for disabled parking are correctly issued;
	(3)  what measures his Department has in place to ensure the secure delivery of blue badges for disabled parking to local authority social services departments.

Gillian Merron: Local authorities are fully responsible for administering the Blue Badge Scheme including issuing application forms, assessing them and issuing badges to applicants who meet the eligibility criteria under the legislation governing the scheme. The Department provides guidance to local authorities on all aspects of the scheme but has no power to intervene in the process or in particular cases.
	Following a review of the scheme new guidanceis being prepared by the Department which willinclude further advice on the eligibility criteria and assessments. This will help ensure that applications are dealt with effectively and efficiently by local authorities. We intend to go out to public consultations on the draft guidance in the near future.
	The Stationery Office (TSO) produces and issues Blue Badges to all local authorities on behalf of the Department. The company is well-versed in highly secure publishing, printing and distribution. Blue Badge shipments are sent via DHL diamond security service. The service provides secure delivery to the address, requiring signed confirmation of receipt. In the event that a written signature is not obtained, the package is returned to TSO as undelivered.

Channel Tunnel

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Government's policy is on whether Eurotunnel should charge rail freight operators using the Channel Tunnel only the costs of running services through it and in line with the principles set out in EU Directive 2001/14.

Tom Harris: The Government's policy is established in The Channel Tunnel (International Arrangements) Order 2005, no. 3207, implementing a Regulation of the Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission. This transposes to the Channel Tunnel the principles of EU Directive 2001/14.

Cotswold National Trail

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the safety of the Cotswold National Trail route where it crosses the A417; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The Highways Agency is responsible for the management of the A417, and is aware of difficulties for users attempting to cross the road in this area. It is considering suitable future schemes to address the problem, but there are no programmed improvements planned in the immediate future.

Crossrail

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what amendments have been made to plans for Crossrail at  (a) Romford depot,  (b) Romford train station and  (c) Gidea Park sidings; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: On 7 November, we laid amendments before the House that would (among other things):
	 (a) provide for an alternative depot strategy that would eliminate the need for a depot at Romford;
	 (b) provide for a step free access ramp on the south side of Romford Station; and
	 (c) provide an alternative access route to the Gidea Park sidings.
	In the event that the alternative depot strategy is not accepted by Parliament, we have proposed revised worksites in connection with the Romford depot scheme. This would avoid any permanent loss of sports pitches from Westlands playing fields and reduce the temporary losses during construction.
	Further information is provided by the Environmental Statement for the Additional Provisions laid before the House on 7 November.

Departmental Staff

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what percentage of staff employed in his Department were registered disabled in each year since 2001.

Gillian Merron: Data on the disability status of civil servants working at the Department for Transport, for the years requested, are available on the civil service website. However, please note that the Department was not created until 2002. The latest available data are as at April 2005 and these, together with previous years' data, can be found at the following website addresses:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/publications/xls/report_2005/table_p.xls
	for data as at April 2005;
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/publications/xls/disability_apr04_4nov04.xls for data as at April 2004; and
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/archive/index.asp
	for previous reporting periods.
	Departmental records of disabled staff are solely based on voluntary declaration of disability under the Disability Discrimination Act and not connected in any way to a formal register of disability.

Diesel Spillages

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with oil companies on ways to stop diesel spillage in forecourts.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department has invited a representative of the UK Petroleum Industry Association to attend the next meeting of the Technical, Engineering and Environmental sub-group to the National Motorcycling Council. The agenda will include discussion of a proposed diesel spillage warning leaflet, the possibility of display or distribution of such a leaflet through UK petrol retail outlets, and other views and comments on the diesel spillage issue.

Exhaust Emissions

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2006,  Official Report, column 229W, on exhaust emissions: Dartford, if he will publish the latest  (a) survey of air quality in toll booths and  (b) comparison of the survey with the Health and Safety Executive's Occupational Exposure Standards.

Stephen Ladyman: A copy of the latest survey will be made available. It currently contains personal information and the Highways Agency will arrange for a redacted copy to be placed in the House of Commons Library within the next two weeks.
	The survey includes a comparison of measured air quality against Workplace Exposure Limits, which have replaced Occupational Exposure Standards, in accordance with guidance issued by the Health and Safety Executive.

Flash Mobbing

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what security measures have been taken at London train and underground stations in response to flash mobbing; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport Police who can be contacted at British Transport Police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, E-mail general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.

M6

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account he will take of his Department's New Approach to Appraisal criteria on value for money when he evaluates the M6 widening project between junctions 11A and 19, with particular reference to  (a) the non-monetised impacts and  (b) the carbon dioxide impacts.

Stephen Ladyman: In assessing the value for money of the M6 project between junctions 11A and 19 the DfT will take account of the impacts against all of the criteria considered under New Approach to Appraisal (NATA). This will include the non-monetised impacts as well as the impacts that are monetised, such as carbon dioxide impacts. The guidance that is used by officials providing advice on the value for money of schemes, is published on the DfT website at:
	www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_control/documents/contentservertemplate/dft_index.hcst?n=12577&l=2.

Ministerial Travel

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the occasions since he has held his present office when he has used  (a) rail services,  (b) the London Underground,  (c) tram or light railway services and (d) buses in connection with his ministerial duties.

Gillian Merron: Since my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State was appointed to his present office he has used public transport on the occasions detailed in the table in the course of his ministerial duties.
	
		
			  Mode of transport  Number of journeys 
			 Rail 19 
			 Bus 1 
			 London Underground 2 
		
	
	Public transport is also used by my right hon. Friend in his capacity both as an MP and as Secretary of State for Scotland.
	Ministers use public transport wherever possibleand practical to complete their journeys taking account of security considerations. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in Travel by Ministers.

Operation Stack

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether provision exists for the payment of compensation for  (a) business and  (b) personal losses arising from the implementation of Operation Stack when necessitated by industrial, civil or government action in France.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 6 December 2006
	No provision exists for the payment of compensation for losses arising specifically from the implementation of Operation Stack. The Highways Agency works closely with all relevant stakeholders to minimise the impact of any disruption of Channel traffic due to, for example, industrial action in France.
	Whether any other sort of compensation is payable in the circumstances described will depend on the facts of the individual case, on which independent legal advice should be sought.
	An instance when compensation was paid by the French authorities was in 1996 following the French lorry drivers' dispute which lasted 12 days. Compensation was paid to some UK hauliers in respect of damage to vehicles or loads and for loss of earnings.

Parliamentary Questions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has a traffic light system in place for processing parliamentary questions, where questions are categorised using a colour code.

Gillian Merron: The Department for Transportdoes not use a traffic light system in processing parliamentary questions.
	However, my ministerial colleagues and I aim to ensure that hon. Members receive a substantive response to their named day question on the named day and endeavour to answer ordinary written questions within a working week of being tabled. It is not always possible but the Department for Transport makes every effort to achieve these timescales.

Reading Station

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when a decision is expected to be made on the scheme to increase railway capacity by 75 per cent. at Reading Station.

Tom Harris: We are reviewing and discussing with Network Rail the proposals for the enlargement of Reading Station and the track around it. The schemes are linked with Network Rail's plans to renew the signalling in the Reading area in 2012. The possible costs are significant and Reading has to be considered against other major calls on rail funding. The Government will publish its High Level Output Specification for the railway in July 2007, setting out the capacity, reliability and safety it expects to buy up to 2014 and stating the funds it will make availablefor this.

Speeding Offences

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speeding offences were committed by  (a) males and  (b) females between the ages of 17 and 25 in Tamworth constituency in each of the last four years.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	The information is not available centrally.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Commission Chairman

Oliver Heald: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what factors affected the decision on the period of office of the Chairman of the Electoral Commission on his recent reappointment.

Peter Viggers: Such decisions are not matters for the Speaker's Committee. The Secretary of the Speaker's Committee has written to my hon. Friend describing the procedure that is being followed in relation to the re-appointment of the Chairman of the Electoral Commission. I have asked him to place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.

PRIME MINISTER

Civil Servants' Business Appointments

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister how many civil servants have requested permission under business appointments rules to join a consultancy firm on their departure in the 2005-06 financial year.

Tony Blair: The independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments publishes in its annual reports statistical information about the total number of applications considered by Departments and agencies, and its recommendations on the appointments taken up by the most senior Crown servants. The Committee's Eighth Report covering 2005-06 was published on 24 July 2006. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House, and on the Committee's website at www.acoba.gov.uk

Gifts

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  on which occasions items on the donated asset reserve held by his Office have been used;
	(2)  how items on the donated asset reserve held by his Office are stored; where they are stored; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what mechanism is in place in his Office for making decisions on whether to retain locally items from the donated asset reserve; and who makes those decisions.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 27 November 2006,  Official Report, column 330W.

Gifts

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2006,  Official Report, column 330W, on gifts, 
	(1)  what provisions have been made under chapter 5 of the Ministerial Code authorising retiring Ministers to take items of the donated asset reserve with them on their departure since 1997; and if he will list the assets and Ministers involved;
	(2)  what provisions are made besides chapter 5 of the Ministerial Code for the  (a) storage and  (b) use of donated asset reserve wine held by his Office; who decided to retain it; and whether the wine which was held by his Office has been drunk.

Tony Blair: I have nothing further to add to the answers I gave the hon. Member on 27 November 2006,  Official Report, column 330W.

Parliamentary Questions

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 30 November 2006,  Official Report, column 897W, whether his Office grades or classifies written parliamentary questions according to their political sensitivity.

Tony Blair: No.

Trident

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister what changes to security considerations underlay the decision to make a 20 per cent. reduction in the operationally available nuclear warheads on Trident set out in his foreword to the White Paper on "The Future of The United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent",Cm 6994.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member tomy statement of 4 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 21-24.

UK's Strategic Priorities

Graham Allen: To ask the Prime Minister if he will submit his Strategy Unit's document "Strategic priorities for the UK: the policy review" to  (a) consultation with hon. Members,  (b) a debate in the House and  (c) scrutiny by relevant select committees; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: The Strategy Unit's presentation "Strategic priorities for the UK: the policy review" is available on the Cabinet Office website and a copyhas been placed in the Library of the House. A consultation process for the policy review is currently being developed which will closely involve Parliament. The conclusions of the policy review will be subject to proper scrutiny by Parliament and select committees in the usual way.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Collective Responsibility

Anne Main: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to achieve his Department's objective of supporting the principle of collective responsibility.

John Prescott: The Ministerial Code sets out the requirements in relation to collective responsibility.

Consultants

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which 10 consultancy fees charged to his Office since its establishment were the most expensive.

John Prescott: Since its establishment, my Department has not let any consultancies.

Departmental Expenditure

Anne Main: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 275-76W, on departmental expenditure, by what percentage he expects his Department's expenditure to change between the 2006-07 and 2007-08 financial years.

John Prescott: My Department will apply for a parliamentary vote for financial year 2007-08 at the appropriate time.

Departmental Staff

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many temporary employees were contracted to work for his Department since its establishment; and what the total cost of such employees was in each year in that period.

John Prescott: The Deputy Prime Minister's Office was formed on Friday 5 May 2006. One temporary member of staff was employed for a short time after that date. Given the small number of staff in my office, it would be inappropriate to give details of their salary.

Departmental Stationery

Anne Main: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his Department has given away promotional stationery since its establishment.

John Prescott: It has not.

Kyoto Protocol

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with other states party to the Kyoto Protocol; and if he will make a statement.

John Prescott: The Government believe it is vital to secure continuing action at the international level to take forward the post-Kyoto agenda. Last week, I held discussions with the UN Secretary-General and his Deputy on a variety of issues, including climate change. On a recent trip to Asia on behalf of the Prime Minister I undertook a large number of engagements including meetings with senior government ministers. Among these were the Prime Ministers of Japan and South Korea, the UN Secretary-General designate and the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. These meetings covered a range of issues, including climate change, sustainability and energy security.

Procurement Projects

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the largest procurement project initiated by his Department has been since it was established; andwhat the  (a) original budget,  (b) cost to date and (c) consultancy fees have been.

John Prescott: Currently there are no procurement projects.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of which African countries will reach all Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

Hilary Benn: The official assessment of progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is conducted by the UN at regional level and shows that for sub-Saharan Africa as a whole, progress towards each of the MDGs is slightly or seriously off track.
	Based on international MDG data, DFID assesses progress towards the international goals on a country-by-country basis. This year's analysis suggests that many African countries will achieve some of the MDGs by 2015, or will have made substantial progress towards the goal, even though if current trends prevail, none is likely to achieve all MDGs by 2015.
	For example, in Uganda, the education MDG ison track, with primary enrolment (MDG2) having increased from 62 per cent. to 86 per cent. in the decade to 2002. In Rwanda, the proportion of women in Parliamentary seats (MDGS) increased from one in six in 1990 to almost 1 in 2 in 2005. And although the child mortality remains high in that country, it is estimated to have reduced from 200 deaths per thousand children aged under five in the 1990s to about 150 per thousand in 2005.
	It is important to note that while the Millennium Declaration was signed by member states and while countries have undertaken to monitor the MDG indicators, interpretation at country level may vary. Indeed, some MDGs targets are not applicable to all countries (e.g. some countries have no forest), while others may be too ambitious (e.g. a large number of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have already achieved the goal of reducing extreme poverty by half with respect to 1990). On the contrary, some may not be ambitious enough. Countries make their own assessment of progress in national MDG reports, following their own customisation of the MDG framework. In total, about 40 countries in Africa have produced national MDG reports, which can be found at http://www.undp.org/mdg/tracking_countryreports2.shtml.

Africa

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of corruption and poor governance upon aid effectiveness in Africa.

Hilary Benn: The UK Government's July 2006 White Paper puts governance at the centre of development and commits us to adopt a new quality of governance assessment to monitor standards of governance, and to intensify our efforts to help improve governance and combat corruption.
	The quality of governance clearly matters for development. One study found that the efficiency of governance (among other issues) was associated with better rates of investment and growth and corruption with worse rates. The World Development Report of 1997 highlighted the importance of property rights, judicial reliability and control of corruption for investment and growth. Econometric studies have shown that the benefits of public health spending on child and infant mortality rates are greater in countries with better governance and that as countries improve governance, public spending on primary education becomes more effective in increasing primary attainment. Researchers have estimated that a country which improves its governance from a relatively low level to an average level could almost triple the per capita income of its population in the long term and similarly reduce infant mortality and illiteracy.
	Aid funded projects are less likely to succeed where there is corruption and poor governance. A 1997 analysis of the impact of governance on the performance of a large number World Bank projects found that rates of return were higher in nations with greater civil liberties. Work at the World Bank Institute has highlighted a relationship between country corruption ratings and World Bank project success—especially for infrastructure projects.
	These general observations and findings have a particular significance for Africa, the continent with the lowest overall standards of governance, as illustrated by the World Bank Institute's worldwide governance indicators for the period 1996 to 2005.
	DFID's allocation of bilateral aid among low-income countries takes into account the likely effectiveness of aid in reducing poverty in each country. This is assessed by reference to the World Bank's Country Policy and Institutional Assessment index, which includes governance indicators. Other factors are also taken into account, including relative need.
	Focusing exclusively on countries with better governance and less corruption could be a way of reducing the risks of aid being wasted or misused, but would not produce the best overall impact. Since the mid-1990s, greater donor emphasis on rewarding countries with relatively effective governments and stable macro-economic policies has led to some neglect of fragile states, which have poor governance. Many of the poorest people live in these states and meeting the Millennium Development Goals will require progress there. Therefore, despite the risks and the challenges, DFID is committed to working not only in countries which are performing well, but also in fragile states and to finding ways of working more effectively in these states.

Aid Organisations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development to which aid organisations working in  (a) Iraq,  (b) Afghanistan,  (c) Pakistan,  (d) Yemen,  (e) Somalia,  (f) Ethiopia,  (g) Iran,  (h) the Palestinian Territories and  (i) Lebanon his Department has given funding in each of the last five years.

Hilary Benn: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Anti-retroviral Drugs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken by his Department to improve the availability of anti-retroviral drugs for children.

Gareth Thomas: The UK is a founding member of UNITAID, a new global initiative whose purpose is to increase funding and reduce prices for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria drugs, and which is specifically targeting paediatric AIDS drugs. The UK is making a long-term commitment to UNITAID over a 20-year period, starting at €20 million in 2007 and, subject to the outcome of a joint assessment of the performance of UNITAID, rising to €60 million per year by 2010. With the help of the Clinton Foundation, UNITAID will expand significantly the children on paediatric AIDS and tuberculosis drugs.
	The US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has formed a public-private partnership to promote scientific and technical discussions on solutions for paediatric HIV treatment, formulations and access. The UK has been invited to join this new venture and has accepted.

Chad

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent estimate he has made of the number of people who have been internally displaced within Chad as a result of violence which has spread from Darfur.

Hilary Benn: As of 30 November, the UN reported that 91,657 people have become internally displaced within Eastern Chad as a result of both cross-border violence from Darfur and from rising levels of conflict within Chad itself. However, this number has further risen in the past week due to the deterioration in the security situation following the new rebel offensive. The UN is currently assessing the levels of newly displaced.

Clinton Foundation

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funds and assistance his Department has made available to the Clinton Foundation; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has provided £1 million to the Clinton Foundation in India for the training of physicians as part of the treatment roll out.
	We have worked closely with the foundation in a number of areas; in ensuring the effective use of a grant from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria in the Caribbean, and in relation to UNITAID, an international drug purchasing facility to negotiate the reduction in price of essential medicines. The UK is a founding member country of UNITAID, and has made a 20-year commitment, which starts with €20 million in 2007, and subject to performance, rises to €60 million by 2010. Last week, the Clinton Foundation negotiated lower prices for HIV/AIDS treatment with $35 million of UNITAID money.

Cluster Munitions

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of the use of cluster munitions on developing countries once direct conflict has ceased.

Hilary Benn: Once direct conflict has ended, cluster munitions, if they have been used in large numbers, are likely to affect humanitarian relief and reconstruction efforts. Certain types of cluster munitions have unacceptably high failure rates, which vary in relation to the prevailing conditions in which they are used. If they are used in large numbers, unexploded bomblets can be left scattered densely and indiscriminately over a wide area. When these are set off, the explosion can kill anyone within 50m. They represent a threat to aid workers, peace-keepers, medical services, internally displaced persons and anyone else entering an area immediately after the cessation of hostilities. The design of cluster munitions means that often children are attracted to them. The threat to returning civilians is exacerbated when cluster munitions are used over soft terrain such as recently ploughed farmland. Unexploded bomblets can lie buried just beneath the surface making it dangerous for farmers to cultivate their land.
	Casualty figures are hard to verify but reports indicate that unexploded cluster munitions killed thousands of civilians in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The UN reports around 1 million unexploded cluster bomblets in Southern Lebanon. So far,23 civilian deaths and 145 injuries have resulted from unexploded ordnance, mainly cluster munitions. It will take an estimated 12-15 months to clear this area of unexploded ordnance.
	Under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) unexploded cluster munitions are classified as Explosive Remnants of War (ERW). The UK played an active role in the adoption of CCW Protocol V on ERW, which will provide increased protection for civilians from the post-conflict effects of ERW, including cluster munitions. We are taking steps to ratify Protocol V as soon as possible. UK military doctrine, operations and our use of cluster munitions are already in accordance with Protocol V.

Conflict Prevention

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the need for a stronger institutional framework at the UN to ensure that early warnings of conflict are followed by effective conflict prevention measures.

Gareth Thomas: The 2004 "UN High-level Panel Report on Threats, Challenges and Change" and the 2005 "World Summit Outcome Document" clearly highlighted the need for more systematic UN early action in response to UN early warning systems. DFID's recent White Paper "Making Governance Work for the Poor" sets out the UK's commitment to improving the UN's effectiveness in acting on early warnings and tackling the underlying causes of conflict.
	Through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool, we are supporting a number of UN initiatives in this area. We provide funding to the UN Interdepartmental Framework for Co-ordination on Early Warning and Preventive Action, which draws together 23 UN bodies to jointly analyse threats to peace and adjust UN programmes to tackle them. We are also planning to support the special adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, who is mandated to draw to the attention of the Secretary-General and the Security Council potential conflict situations that present a risk to international peace and security.
	DFID is also working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to ensure that the new UN Peacebuilding Commission and the UN Peacebuilding Fund—to which we have committed £30 million over three years—help prevent countries falling back into conflict by addressing the underlying causes of conflict.

Debt Cancellation

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of conditionality upon the effectiveness of debt cancellation.

Hilary Benn: The very high levels of debt owed by some of the poorest countries has raised widespread concern. It has prevented countries from investing in basic services and building the infrastructure neededto reach the millennium development goals. It has constrained economic growth, and undermines the compact between a government and its people, with large shares of the government's resources being needed to service its debt. Tackling this problem has been a top priority for the Government.
	The right conditionality is essential to ensure thatwe can have confidence that debt relief will benefit poor people. In my view, the approach taken underthe Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative is appropriate. It specifies that there should be a track record on macroeconomic management and an established commitment to reduce poverty. Macroeconomic management is important for ensuring that government resources are used effectively, and provides the basis for sustainable economic growth.
	The commitment to poverty reduction has been specified in terms of a government developing and implementing a national poverty reduction strategy, and through the implementation of a number of agreed actions. These actions include measures to improve public financial management, and they may include actions on education, health, or economic growth. In my view, the choice of conditions has not always been wholly appropriate. In some cases, the number of conditions has been too high, making it hard for countries to complete the process. In others, there were conditions for which there was too little government ownership and commitment. The UK has argued for the World Bank and the IMF to take a flexible approach in assessing whether countries should qualify for the irrevocable debt relief that is granted at the end of the process, and several countries have already benefited from this.
	Given the demands of the HIPC Initiative, the Government took the view that no additional conditionally should be attached to the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative. We were successful in achieving this.
	Both the HIPC Initiative and MDRI provide irrevocable debt cancellation. This is important to ensure that debt burden is removed and so that governments have a predictable stream of resources that they can invest. Of course, there are no guarantees that countries will remain committed to reducing poverty, but a balance needs to be struck between having confidence that debt cancellation will benefit the poor and not setting the standards unreasonably high. Debt relief remains a small proportion of overall aid provided by donors, and donors can change the form of other aid if there are setbacks, for example withdrawing budget support and providing other assistance.
	At HIPC Decision Point, countries receive flow relief on their debt payments. This can be removed where there is evidence that a country is not committed to poverty reduction. A track record is therefore built up before qualifying for irrevocable debt relief at Completion Point.
	Recent reports from the World Bank and IMFhave shown that countries that have qualified for debt relief have increased their spending on poverty from US$ 6 billion in 2000 to nearly US$ 15 billion in 2005. This is projected to increase further following the implementation of Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative in 2006, which is freeing up an additional US$ 38 billion. I have seen for myself the impact of some of this relief, such as schools in Ghana. Zambia is using savings (US$ 2.8 million) in 2006 to increase spending on agricultural projects on smallholder irrigation and livestock disease control, as well as eliminate user fees for healthcare in rural areas.
	Analysis also shows that the performance of HIPCs has improved, as measured by the World Bank's Country Policy and Institutional Assessment. This looks at 16 different aspects of policy, within the categories of economic management, structural and social/poverty policies, and public sector management. And economic growth rates in sub-Saharan Africa are increasing. This cannot be attributed only to the HIPC process; however the top performers in 2005 amongst non-oil producing countries are HIPCs that have already benefited from debt relief.

Departmental Energy Policy

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to make his Department carbon neutral.

Hilary Benn: DFID is committed to the new sustainable operations targets as announced recently by DEFRA, which include a commitment to achieve a carbon neutral central Government office estate by 2012 and to reduce carbon emissions from offices by30 per cent. by 2020.
	In the interim, we are investigating a number of means by which our carbon emissions might be reduced, such as by the installation of alternative energy sources including wind, solar, biomass and tri-generation systems. We are also looking at measures to improve our energy efficiency more generally.In addition, DFID will be contributing to the Government carbon offsetting fund, which will offset emissions from air travel.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government is taking to meet the 2010 target of universal access to HIV prevention treatment and care for children; and how much the Government has provided for children affected by HIV and AIDS in developing countries in each of the last 10 years.

Gareth Thomas: In June the UN General Assembly extended the G8's commitment, agreeing the goalof universal access to comprehensive prevention programmes, treatment, care and support by 2010. Countries pledged to set, in 2006, credible, costed national plans, including targets for 2008 and 2010.
	These plans need to be reviewed so that the international community, with partner governments, can fund and implement effective national plans for universal access. These plans should integrate children affected by AIDS into specific AIDS services as well as broader health, education and social protection provision.
	Over three years (from 2005-06 to 2007-08) the UK government will spend at least £150 million on programmes to meet the needs of orphans and other children, particularly those in Africa, made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS.
	The tracking of expenditure on orphans and vulnerable children began in March 2005 therefore expenditure figures before this period are not available. DFID is currently reviewing the methodology used to calculate expenditure and figures will be announced in due course.

Displaced People: Vakarai

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to ensure that food, fuel and medical supplies organised by the United Nations reaches displaced Sri Lankans in the Vakarai area.

Gareth Thomas: The UK is in regular contact with the Sri Lankan Government, the International Committee of the Red Cross and UN agencies about the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka.
	The UK Government have expressed serious concerns over the humanitarian situation in Vakarai and other conflict affected areas of the country and the need for all parties to the conflict to ensure regular and sustained access for humanitarian deliveries. We fully support the statement by the co-chairs of the peace process (EU, Japan, Norway, US) that there should be an immediate, permanent and unconditional opening of routes for humanitarian convoys of essential supplies.
	We welcome the announcement that a convoy of food stuffs and other supplies had reached the Vakarai area on 29 November. However not all the vehicles in the original convoy were allowed to enter the area and this convoy was the first for several weeks. Much more needs to be done.

Equator Principles

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Equator Principles in the developing world; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has not undertaken a specific assessment of the effectiveness of the Equator Principles in the developing world.
	However, during 2004-05 the Department was actively engaged in influencing the formulation ofthe International Finance Corporation's (IFC) new sustainability policy, environmental and social performance standards and guidance notes. These policies and standards serve as the key reference for the Equator Principles. DFID ensured that representatives of the Equator Banks (the banks who had signed up to the Equator Principles) were involved in the public consultations that DFID carried out during this process.
	A set of revised Equator Principles were publishedin June 2006. These broaden the application of the Equator Principles and help to strengthen the environmental and social standards they require. The revised Principles include a new commitment to reporting, thus addressing—to a certain extent—an earlier criticism that it was difficult to evaluate their effectiveness.

EU Economic Partnership Agreements

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which developing countries are part of EU Economic Partnership Agreements of which the UK is a signatory.

Gareth Thomas: The Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), are being negotiated between the EU and the African Caribbean and Pacific, (ACP) group of countries. There are 79 ACP countries. They have divided themselves into six regional groups in order to negotiate EPAs. These six groups are shown as follows. Two countries that are part of the ACP but are not negotiating an EPA are Somalia and Timor-Leste.
	 West Africa
	Benin
	Burkina Faso
	Cape Verde
	Gambia
	Ghana
	Guinea
	Guinea Bissau
	Ivory Coast
	Liberia
	Mali
	Mauritania
	Niger
	Nigeria
	Senegal
	Sierra Leone
	Togo
	 Central Africa
	Cameroon
	Centr. Africa
	Chad
	Congo (Brazzaville)
	Congo (Dem. Rep.)
	Equatorial Guinea
	Gabon
	Sao Tome and Principal
	 East and South Africa ESA
	Burundi
	Comoros
	Djibouti
	Eritrea
	Ethiopia
	Kenya
	Malawi
	Mauritius
	Madagascar
	Rwanda
	Seychelles
	Sudan
	Uganda
	Zambia
	Zimbabwe
	 Southern Africa
	Angola
	Botswana
	Lesotho
	Mozambique
	Namibia
	Swaziland
	Tanzania
	 Caribbean
	Antigua and Barbuda
	Bahamas
	Barbados
	Belize
	Dominica
	Dominican Republic
	Grenada
	Guyana
	Haiti
	Jamaica
	St. Lucia
	St. Vincent
	St. Ktts and Nevis
	Surinam
	Trinidad and Tobago
	 Pacific
	Cook Is.
	Fed. Micronisia
	Fiji
	Kiribati
	Marshall Is.
	Nauru
	Niue
	Palau
	Papua New Guinea
	Samoa
	Solomon Islands
	Tonga
	Tuvalu
	Vanuatu

HIV/AIDS

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the Government of the United States about the distribution of condoms in HIV/AIDS programmes.

Gareth Thomas: The UK and US agreed at UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS in June 2006 that comprehensive HIV prevention is essential, including expanded access to male and female condoms. For the past 10 years DFID has been the fourth largest condom provider, providing over a billion condoms since 2001. USAID was the largest individual donor for contraceptives and condoms in 2004, contributing 35 per cent. of total donor support. But in Africa there are still only enough condoms to provide eight for each man each year. The UK will continue to play its part, and work closely with the US to ensure an appropriate and effective response to AIDS, including on the provision of condoms.

HIV/AIDS

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS policies in  (a) India and  (b) Thailand.

Gareth Thomas: The Government of India's National AIDS Programme (NACP) began in 1992, and the second phase of the programme (NACP 2) will run until March 2007. Key achievements under NACP2 include the establishment of 1,033 focused prevention interventions among vulnerable groups, 875 voluntary counselling and testing centres and 679 sexually transmitted disease clinics at the district level.
	Currently, only half of the populations at greatest risk of infection (sex workers, men having sex with men and injecting drugs users) are currently covered by prevention interventions. Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) was introduced by the programme in 2004 but the roll out has been slow and serious issues of access, adherence, and capacity remain. By May 2006, only 32,000 people were covered by the free treatment programme.
	Yet, there is emerging evidence that the strategy of concentrating on focused interventions among those at highest risk is having an impact in states in the south.A recent analysis of HIV data from 216 antenatal clinics and 132 sexually transmitted infection clinics for 2000-04 suggest that HIV prevalence among women aged 15-24 years in southern states declined from1.7 per cent. in 2000 to 1.1 per cent. in 2004. HIV infection levels also fell among men aged 20-29 years who attended sexually transmitted infection clinics in the south.
	In Thailand, Government policy is to provide Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) to all those in need as part of the national Health Insurance scheme. This has contributed to Thailand's successful high treatment coverage rates. There has been concern that Thailand has failed to maintain initial HIV prevention successes. There are now worrying increases in infection prevalence rates in young people, married women and men who have sex with men. The Government recently announced that they would increase investment in this area with the aim of reducing new infections by 50 per cent. by 2010, but has not yet presented plans for this. Continued high levels of stigma and discrimination remain a major barrier to an effective response.

HIV/AIDS

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the Government of China on tackling HIV/AIDS.

Gareth Thomas: The Government of China is making a concerted effort to tackle HIV and AIDS, including more than doubling its spending since 2003.
	In August DFID agreed to provide £30 million over four and a half years to help the Government of China's national HIV and AIDS programme contain the number of people living with HIV and AIDS to1.5 million by 2010. This is part of a £92 million programme that is also supported by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Following the approval of the programme DFID officials have been continuing to hold discussions with the Government of China about its implementation.

Immunisation

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK aid has been spent on vaccine and immunisation programmes in developing countries in each of the last 10 years.

Gareth Thomas: It is not possible to disaggregate our country programme spend on immunisation. We can however provide information on specific funding to immunisation bodies. We have provided £68 million to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation between 2000 and 2008 to increase access to vaccines for children under five through the introduction of new vaccines, lowering the prices of existing vaccines and improving the capacity of health systems to deliver vaccinations. We have also provided £338 million to the Polio Eradication Initiative between 1988 to 2008, and £39.8 million to the International Aids Vaccine Initiative between 2000 to 2008. We have committed a further £1.38 billion to the International Finance Facility for Immunisation, which will raise $4 billion to support GAVI over the next 10 years. We also support the work of UNICEF which provides significant assistance to country vaccine programmes.

Indian Ocean Tsunami

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid his Department has provided to Aceh since the tsunami.

Gareth Thomas: The province of Aceh in Indonesia was struck by an earthquake followed by tsunami that devastated an 800km coastal strip in December 2004. The tsunami killed around 170,000 people and displaced approximately 500,000 from their homes.
	In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami DFID committed £55 million to emergency relief projects in Aceh, and the neighbouring island of Nias which was also severely affected. All emergency relief projects have been successfully concluded, and relief needs were met in all projects. The evaluation of all relief projects is set out in the document "Report on DFID's response to the Indian Ocean Disaster", copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House and can also be found on the DFID website.
	In addition, DFID has allocated £59 million to longer term reconstruction and recovery in Aceh and Nias. These funds are being channelled mainly through the following programmes:
	Over £38 million committed to the Multi-Donor Fund for Aceh and Nias (MDF). The MDF pools the resources of 15 donors in support of the Government of Indonesia's own plans and priorities for reconstruction. It has become a proven and effective partner in the recovery process. The MDF currently supports 16 projects which provide needed assistance to four under-funded sectors: the recovery of communities; infrastructure and transport; capacity building and governance; and sustainable management of the environment.
	£10 million for the livelihoods component of UNDP's Emergency Response and Transitional Recovery (ERTR) programme, which has provided cash for work for over 50,000 beneficiaries in the aftermath of the tsunami. The focus is now on building sustainable livelihoods. The programme has enabled over 50,000 beneficiaries to re-engage in income generation and many of these are now self-sufficient.
	£6 million to the World Bank's Support for Poor and Disadvantaged Areas (SPADA) programme, to provide support to strengthen governance, promote growth and improve service delivery in Aceh and Nias. This programme is just getting under way.
	£3 million through the Decentralisation Support Facility (DSF) managed by the World Bank, to support Government and implementing partners' ability to assist tsunami-affected communities to rebuild their lives.
	DFID also provided over £1 million to a number of smaller initiatives which aim to improve transparency in the way reconstruction funds are managed, build the capacity (particularly relating to procurement) of local governments and other agencies involved in the reconstruction effort, and activities to help consolidate peace in Aceh.
	Both the MDF and ERTR programmes have been reviewed positively in recent independent reviews as well as by DFID's own monitoring activities. Progress has been made, but there is still a long way to go. For example, the Government of Indonesia's Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency for Aceh and Nias (BRR) (http://www.e-aceh-nias.org) estimates that 120,000 units of new housing are required, and, as of April 2006, 41,734 had been built.

International Finance Facility

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK aid has been channelled to developing countries through the International Finance Facility.

Gareth Thomas: The UK is committed to developing innovative financing mechanisms to raise additional resources to accelerate progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals.
	The International Finance Facility (IFF) is still under development, but the pilot IFF for Immunisation (IFFIm) was launched in September 2005. It issued its first bonds on 7 November 2006, raising US$1 billion which is being channelled through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI). These funds will support GAVI's vaccination and immunisation programmes in developing countries, allowing a major scaling-up of this important work.
	IFFIm will raise a total of US$4 billion for immunisation over the next 10 years. The UK has committed a total of £1.38 billion to IFFIm over the next 20 years.

Iraq

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made by the UK in the rehabilitation and development of infrastructure in Basra Province since 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID has been on the ground delivering programmes in Basra Province since theend of the conflict in 2003. We have already spent£118 million on economic development and reconstruction projects in southern Iraq. Achievements to date include:
	Immediate infrastructure repairs to increase water supplyby up to 30 per cent. and improve the electricity supply to1.5 million residents in Basra.
	Repairs to local power stations which so far have added or secured 350 megawatts, equivalent to 24 hours electricity supply for 700,000 people.
	Training for 60 agricultural directorate staff and 3,000 people in business/enterprise skills.
	200 technical staff at the Basra Water Directorate employees learning how to maintain and repair their water infrastructure in the training centre constructed this March.
	Created more than 400,000 days of work through our construction projects.
	In addition, we have also helped the Provincial Councils to produce development plans, designed to helping the Iraqis to prioritise activity, unlock the substantial Iraqi funds available (around US$300 million in 2007) for reconstruction projects in the south and get the resources flowing to the provinces. This is a long term challenge, but progress is being made. The Basra Council is already putting this strategy into action by implementing over 220 projects to repair water and sewage infrastructure, and improve roads and electricity supplies. Together with other donors, such as the Australians, Japanese, United Nations (UN) and the World Bank, we need to continue to support the Government of Iraq, at both national and provincial levels, to turn Iraqi resources into viable projects so that local people can see real progress.

Iraq

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which UK companies are working on regeneration in Iraq; and in what part of the country each is working.

Hilary Benn: The redevelopment of the essential infrastructure and economy in Iraq is vital for the progress of the country and its people. British companies have already played a pivotal role in rebuilding Iraq in several sectors, including power generation and transmission, water and sanitation, and oil and gas. We are aware of more than 70 major contracts and sub-contracts awarded to UK companies. Further information can be obtained on the UK Trade and Investment website:
	https://www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk/ukti/appmanager/ukti/countries?_nfls=false&_nfpb=true&pageLabel=CountrvType1&navigationPageld=/iraq

Kenya

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of flooding in Northern Kenya.

Hilary Benn: DFID has not made any independent assessment of the situation regarding the flooding in northern Kenya. We are however in close touch with the agencies on the ground and the government bodies that are responding to the crisis.
	The UN estimates that there are 563,000 Kenyans in eight districts, and 100,000 refugees mostly from Somali origin from refugee camps near Garissa, that are directly affected by the flooding.
	The main humanitarian threats are from water borne diseases such as diarrhoea (the Ministry of health has issued a cholera alert), and from the effect of diarrhoea in conjunction with the very high levels of malnutrition in these areas. There is also likely to be an increase in malaria cases, but this is likely to be mainly once flood waters begin to drop and this is not yet happening.
	Access is a serious problem with many roads in the worst affected areas being impassable. Part of the funding from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (to which the UK is the major contributor) is being used to provide helicopters and other aircraft to reach communities in the most inaccessible areas.

Kenya

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken by his Department to assist with flood relief in Northern Kenya.

Hilary Benn: The UK is providing £1.2 million to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) for its work in addressing the effects of the flooding in the refugee camps located near Garissa in north east Kenya. We have also provided £0.8 million to the Kenya Red Cross for flood relief work among Kenyan populations. Both of these grants are for the supply of relief materials and provision of safe water and sanitation materials. Further contributions are being considered.
	The UN has announced that this fund will be contributing $11.8 million for flood relief work in Kenya from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). The UK is the largest contributor to this fund and was actively involved in its establishment. The UK also provides core funding to many of the most active agencies on the ground, including UNHCR, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

Latin America

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the work being undertaken in Latin America by the World Bank.

Gareth Thomas: We welcome the World Bank's goals in Latin America, which are as follows:
	 Support higher and more stable growth and employment
	Improve investment climate and competitiveness and generate jobs
	Expand and improve infrastructure
	Strengthen education and innovation systems
	Consolidate macroeconomic stability and deepen financial systems
	 Support institutions for equity, inclusion, sustainability
	Improve governance, participation, and service delivery
	Achieve an inclusive but affordable welfare system
	Promote effective natural resource use and environmental institutions
	The World Bank implements these goals through lending, and also importantly through analytical work prepared to help Governments think through policy options. Our general assessment, backed up by analysis from the Bank's Independent Evaluation Group is positive. They focus on key issues to unblock constraints to growth, including investment climate and tackling inequality—two major challenges for Latin America. We have been pleased that, with DFID help, the Bank has improved its analytical work by engaging with a wider range of actors in country. The Bank faces a particular challenge in Middle Income Countries, who have access to other sources of financing; this has pushed the Bank to be innovative—such as by working with subnational Governments—and to add value, such as by working on the design of social safety net programmes.
	DFID's Latin America Regional Assistance Plan (RAP) seeks to help the World Bank enhance its impact in reducing poverty. An independent interim assessment of progress on the RAP is currently taking place, including assessment of how our contributions are helping the World Bank to work in the region.

Latin America

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the work being undertaken in Latin America by the Inter-American Development Bank.

Gareth Thomas: Latin America is facing the twin challenges of rapid globalisation and entrenched inequality. Poor people in the poorer and middle income countries are not always benefiting from globalisation. And the countries' needs are changing, as many can access other sources of finance for development, including private capital. The new President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Alberto Moreno, is leading efforts to transform the Bank so that it can better assist countries to meet these challenges and achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
	One of the main changes underway is that new programmes are being designed to target the majority of the people of the region who are poor. One umbrella programme called "Opportunities for the Majority" represents a new way of assisting the people who lose out in the changes driven by the need to compete globally. The IDB's new initiative includes projects to help people secure and exercise their rights, for example helping poor people to establish their citizenship and get the documents they need to work in the formal economy. Other areas being looked at include housing, water and electricity for poor people. The objective is to support practical programmes which will make a difference to peoples' lives such as creating jobs and. opportunities for poor people to start their own businesses.

Medicine Distribution

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to facilitate the charitable distribution of unused in-date medicines to developing countries.

Gareth Thomas: DFID recognises that some organisations play a helpful role in seeking to improve health care in developing countries by donating medicines. However, donations do not provide a sustainable solution to the general, long-term needs for essential medicines in developing countries.
	The UK Government believe that long term solutions must involve the development of sustainable markets for pharmaceutical products in developing countries. DFID provides support and finance to help developing countries purchase the drugs they need, benefit from lower prices through mechanisms such as UNITAID, increase the range of medicines available and strengthen the capacity of health services to deliver them.

Overseas Aid: Discrimination

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what safeguards are in place to avoid the risk of  (a) caste and  (b) racial discrimination in the distribution of his Department's aid; what measures there are to ensure that UK aid reaches the most disadvantaged Dalit communities in India; and what mechanisms prevent aid going to groups complicit in (i) religiously, (ii) caste and (iii) racially-motivated violence.

Gareth Thomas: DFID promotes social inclusion in all its programmes in India.
	DFID's programme in India operates in support of Government of India's efforts to combat caste and ethnic discrimination and social exclusion in all its forms, including by strengthening programme design and monitoring to ensure that the benefits of development reach Dalits, Adivasis and other minority populations.
	For example, DFID is providing £190 million tothe Indian Government's national programme for achieving universal primary education (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan—SSA). A key objective of SSA, launched in 2004, was to narrow the gaps that exist between the enrolment of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe and other children. The proportion of Scheduled Caste children in the school population has increasedfrom 30.4 million in 2003 to 39.3 million in 2006and Scheduled Tribe children have increased from16 million in 2003 to 20.5 million in 2006. This has been achieved through a range of strategies that have helped tackle discrimination at all levels.
	DFID has also provided £252 million in support of the Indian Government's National Programme to promote reproductive and child health (RCH2). The programme aims to reduce disparities in maternal and infant mortality between Dalit, Adivasi and other women and children. The programme will improve the data available to track progress and make informed decisions to achieve better health outcomes for Dalit and Adivasi women and children.
	Although most DFID funds directly support the Government of India, DFID recognises that civil society is an important partner in achieving poverty reduction in India and holding Government to account. DFID regularly reviews the civil society programmes it supports to ensure that all programmes pay due attention to the need to tackle exclusion.

Palestinian Government

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessmenthe has made of the effect on people living withinthe jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority of the cessation of EU aid to the Palestinian government.

Hilary Benn: The UK Government are extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. We are committed to helping the Palestinian people through the EU-led Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) and other projects. The causes of the deteriorating humanitarian situation include the conflict with Israel and amongst Palestinians; an economic downturn due to movement and access restrictions; and the Palestinian Authority's (PA) fiscal crisis, which has meant it has been unable to pay salaries.
	The PA's fiscal crisis is mainly the result of the withholding of clearance revenues by Israel and lower tax revenues. The suspension of budgetary support by donors has played a less significant role. This is more than compensated for by an increase in aid through the TIM and other channels. European Union assistance has increased by 27 per cent. this year to £439 million. Aid for Palestinian basic needs through the TIM will reach £131.1 million this year in comparison with£65 million through budgetary aid to the PA in 2005. Without the TIM and other aid, notably from Arab donors, the situation for Palestinians would be far worse than it is now.

Philippines

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid the Government has given to help the government of the Philippines to help the families of the victims of the recent typhoon.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has so far agreed to contribute £300,000 to the international appeal launched by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The UN has already provided £2 million from the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), to which DFID also contributes. We have been monitoring the situation closely and assess that the Philippines authorities are meeting immediate relief needs. The Philippines government has not requested international assistance but welcomes supplementary support for longer term recovery. A UN assessment team is in the Philippines preparing an additional funding appeal. We will consider contributing to this when it issues in the next few days.

Recruitment

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on recruitment advertising in each of the last three years.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's spend on recruitment advertising for the last three financial years was as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2003-04 519,331 
			 2004-05 534,731 
			 2005-06 348,502 
		
	
	DFID's strategy for advertising involves publicising vacancies in newspapers, journals and websites. DFID does not use search agencies.

Remittances

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the outcome of the World Bank conference on remittances; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The joint DFID and WorldBank-hosted conference on remittances held on13-14 November in London focused on the links between remittances and financial inclusion and followed up the outcomes of the first DFID-World Bank International Conference on Remittances in October 2003.
	The conference brought together over 150 participants, including central bank governors, Government officials from developed and developing countries, academics, money transfer operators, commercial banks, credit card companies, diaspora, and representatives of the international donor community, NGOs and international organisations. Feedback from the conference participants was extremely positive. 90 per cent. of participants rated the conference either 'very good' or 'outstanding' in terms of its agenda, quality of presentations and selection of speakers.
	The conference highlighted that remittances offer the potential for enhancing poverty reduction and growth, not least through bringing many millions of people into the formal financial sector. It was clear that:
	While the cost of sending remittances has been brought down, further reductions are needed,
	Access to remittances for poorer and more rural people is being extended, but further improvements are needed, and
	Those receiving remittances would benefit from better access to other financial services, such as savings accounts.
	The General Principles for International Remittance Services were launched at this conference. These principles act as a guide for regulators, governments and remittance providers, and are designed to improve the market for remittance services in sending and receiving countries. They were formulated by an international taskforce led by the Bank for International Settlements and the World Bank, with DFID support. DFID will work with the World Bank and others to assist developing countries in implementing the general principles.
	The conference highlighted the importance of harnessing technology and working with the private sector in order to improve the impact of remittances. DFID supports the expansion of mobile phone banking through a joint programme of work with the World Bank and the global system for mobile communication (GSM) association. This will include assessments of improvements that can be made to the regulatory framework for mobile banking in more than 10 countries. As regulatory issues can be a major constraint to the development of this technology, DFID has already worked together with regulators and mobile banking providers in Kenya and South Africa to identify and map out a positive and appropriate policy and legal framework for mobile banking.
	DFID will continue to support the UK Remittances Task Force in helping speed up the private sector's response to the remittances and financial inclusion challenges that this conference emphasised. The UK Remittances Task Force is a positive example of the private sector setting goals for improving remittance services to developing countries that are driven by both commercial and development objectives.
	The conference confirmed the need for controls to prevent money laundering via remittances, but in a way that also promotes financial inclusion. DFID is funding a project through the Financial Reform and Strengthening (FIRST) Initiative that will provide tools for developing country regulators to better achieve this balance.

Statistics

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on statistics relating to the work of his Department in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: There is no centrally held information on either the volume or costs of statistics published each year within the Department.
	Estimates for the annual costs of National Statistics are contained in the relevant National Statistics Annual Report and Accounts, which are available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=1051
	Copies are also available in the Library for the reference of Members. The last year these were produced was 2004-05.

Sudan

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding given by his Department went directly to the Sudanese government in the last 12 months.

Hilary Benn: None of the substantial development and humanitarian assistance that HMG provided to Sudan over the last 12 months went directly to the government of Sudan.

Sudan

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Darfur.

Hilary Benn: Darfur is the world's largest humanitarian crisis. The total number of displaced now stands at two million people with an additional two million people dependent on international aid for food and basic needs.
	Although nutrition and health indicators remain relatively stable, there has been a serious deterioration in the ability of humanitarian agencies to reach those in need. The UN's ability to access populations in need in Darfur is at its lowest level since April 2004. With attacks on aid workers, banditry, upsurges in fighting and increasing numbers of new displacements, the situation has become extremely precarious and humanitarian conditions could rapidly deteriorate in the face of large-scale displacement, disease outbreaks, or withdrawal of NGOs due to insecurity.
	The UK is the second biggest bilateral humanitarian donor to the Darfur crisis. Since April 2004 we have contributed over £190 million in humanitarian assistance to Sudan.

Sudan

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government is taking to support people left homeless as a consequence of the conflict in Darfur.

Hilary Benn: In 2006 DFID has spent approximately £34 million on humanitarian assistance in Darfur and a further £4 million on those displaced and affectedby conflict in neighbouring Chad. Most of DFID's Darfur assistance goes towards protecting the nearly two million displaced, and ensuring they have adequate access to healthcare, shelter, water, sanitation and food. This aid is channelled through the UN, non-governmental organisations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
	The UK is also active in urging full and unimpeded access for humanitarian agencies to all those in need in Darfur. Given administrative obstructions and the rising levels of insecurity, this is a major challenge in providing assistance to the displaced and conflict affected in Darfur.

Sudan

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of refugees from the Darfur region of Sudan who have fled to Chad in each of the last12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The UN has reported that 13,686 Sudanese from the Darfur region fled to Chad between January and November 2006. These consisted of 1,660 new arrivals in January, 5,005 in February, 2,310 in March, 540 in April, 523 in May, 738 in June, 115 in July, 1,508 in August, 355 in September, 705 in October and 229 in November.
	We are very concerned about the current situation in Chad. We assess it is fuelled partly by cross-border interference from Sudan. We continue to call on both the Government of Sudan and the Government of Chad to stop supporting each others' rebels and to fulfil their obligations under the Tripoli Agreement.A UN assessment mission travelled to Chad from28 November to 3 December to look at what UN could do to improve security in refugee camps and border areas. We are pressing the UN Secretary-General to report back quickly with options for an international presence in the Chad/Darfur border region.

Sudan

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many aid agencies pulled out of the Darfur region of Sudan in each of the last five years.

Hilary Benn: We have not been keeping data on the number of aid agencies ceasing operations in Darfur. We are aware of only two cases. Save the Children (UK) ended its operations in Darfur at the end of 2004, though it continued with its work elsewhere in Sudan. Last month Norwegian Refugee Council ended its operations in South Darfur.

Tanzania

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has given to the insecticide treated net programme in Tanzania since the programme's introduction.

Hilary Benn: DFID has been investing in social marketing and market development of insecticide-treated bednets since 1998. This was done first through the SMITN (Social Marketing of Insecticide Treated Nets) project, and later through the SMARTNET (Strategic Social Marketing for Expanding the Commercial Marketing of Insecticide Treated Nets in Tanzania) project, jointly funded with the Netherlands.
	Recent significant falls in under-five and infant mortality in Tanzania are due in part to increased use of treated nets. Net sales per year are well over three million—far surpassing any similar programme in Africa—and the nets are available in all parts of the country. Recent data shows that almost 30 per cent. of under-fives now sleep under treated bednets—double the percentage in 2005.
	DFID committed and spent £3.9 million in the SMITN project, and committed a further £10.3 million out of the total £14.9 million commitment to the SMARTNET project. Of this, DFID has spent£7.6 million to date.

Tetanus

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken by his Department to tackle tetanus in developing countries.

Gareth Thomas: Tetanus spores enter the body via deep wounds. In addition to wounds caused by accidents, mothers are susceptible to tetanus infection immediately following childbirth. Similarly, new born babies are at risk of tetanus infection where a non-sterile instrument is used to cut the umbilical cord (for example an un-trained traditional birth attendant using a piece of bamboo) and where traditional practices involve placing unclean 'dressings' over the exposed area (such as dried and powdered cow dung used to help dry the cord in parts of south Asia). Without urgent treatment tetanus is fatal, causing an estimated 200,000 newborn child deaths a year.
	Tetanus is preventable through good hygiene and vaccination. DFID supports developing countries' efforts to strengthen the health services through which immunisation is provided, as well as to improve hygienic practices by skilled birth attendants. In 2005-06 DFID provided £453.1 million as direct support to the health sector. DFID also provided£12.5 million core support to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and £19 million to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in 2005-06. Both WHO and UNICEF are key global actors in vaccine preventable diseases.
	In addition, DFID supports the work of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) to introduce new vaccines (such as Hepatitis B and Haemophilius influenza) into country immunisation schedules. In some cases these new vaccines are administered in combination with diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT). In these cases, GAVI also supports tetanus immunisation. In some of the world's poorest countries GAVI provides support to improve the health systems which deliver immunisation and this support has recently been linked to improvements in the rates of DPT immunisation coverage in these countries. DFID has contributed over £43 million to GAVI since 2000.
	The UK is also committed to developing innovative financing mechanisms such as the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFm) which was launched in September 2005. So far this has raised US$ 1 billion which will be channelled through GAVI, allowing a major scaling-up of their immunisation work. The UK has committed a total of £1.38 billion for IFFm over the next 20 years.

Uganda

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Uganda on its HIV/AIDS programmes.

Hilary Benn: Support to address the problem of HIV/AIDS is an important part of the UK's aid programme to Uganda. DFID staff have regular discussions with Ugandan officials and Ministers about HIV/AIDS. When I met with President Museveni in November, I discussed with him Uganda's use of the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
	Uganda has successfully managed to reduce HIV prevalence from 18 per cent. in 1992 to 6.4 per cent. in 2005. It is a cause for concern, however, that prevalence is no longer falling and new HIV infections remain high.
	DFID approved a major new HIV/AIDS programme for Uganda in June 2006 which will provide £9 million over the next three years. In our discussions with the Government, we stress the importance of implementing a comprehensive strategy for prevention, treatment and care. President Museveni recently cautioned the Ugandan people not to become complacent about the continuing threat that HIV poses.

White Nile

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of oil exploration by White Nile upon stability and development in Sudan.

Hilary Benn: DFID has not had any discussions with White Nile Limited, and has made no specific assessment of the impact of White Nile's oil exploration activities on stability and development in Sudan.

White Nile

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the oil exploration company White Nile on the Extractive Industries Review guidelines.

Hilary Benn: DFID has not had any discussions with White Nile Limited in relation to their oil exploration activities in Southern Sudan and the need for them to adhere to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) guidelines. However, we have had discussions with the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) on EITI and both the GOSS and the Federal Government in Sudan have declared an interest in EITI. We intend to take forward these initial discussions in coordination with the International Monetary Fund and the Norwegian Government in order to encourage both Governments and oil companies operating in Sudan to adopt the EITI principles.

Parliamentary Questions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many parliamentary written questions his Department received in each parliamentary session since 2001; and how many of these questions  (a) were not answered because of disproportionate cost,  (b) were not answered,  (c) received answers referring back to a previous answer(i) asked by the hon. Member and (ii) asked by another hon. Member and  (d) were grouped together for answer.

Hilary Benn: DFID's own records do not contain a breakdown of such information. However, it is obtainable from the  Official Report.

Parliamentary Questions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what target his Department has for the maximum acceptable amount of time to answer parliamentary written questions; and what percentage of parliamentary answers met that target in each parliamentary session since 2001.

Hilary Benn: DFID aims to answer all parliamentary questions within the timescales specified by Parliament: on the relevant day in the case of named day questions, and within one working week in the case of ordinary written questions. DFID does not keep central records of how it performs against those timescales, but such information is obtainable from the  Official Report.

Zimbabwe

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe.

Hilary Benn: The DFID office in Harare closely monitors the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe, liaising with the local UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). OCHA recently issued a Common Humanitarian Action Plan for the coming year in Zimbabwe. Despite good rains last year, Zimbabwe faces yet another year of crisis and food insecurity. While acute malnutrition is not presently at emergency levels, chronic malnutrition remains a serious problem. With inflation at over 1,000 per cent., many poor and vulnerable people in both rural and urban areas will face difficulty in accessing food in coming hungry months.
	DFID will spend £33 million in 2006-07 to tackle food insecurity, HIV/AIDS, and in support of orphans and vulnerable children, including a recent pledge of£3 million to World Food Programme for their operations in Zimbabwe in the coming months. This support is all channelled through NGOs and UN agencies—none through the Government of Zimbabwe. DFID Zimbabwe's Protracted Relief Programme addresses food security in a number of ways including the provision of agricultural inputs to the poorest communal farmers and food vouchers for households affected by AIDS, reaching approximately 1.5 million people across Zimbabwe.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Government of  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iran on the (i) legal and (ii) cultural status of women in those countries.

Kim Howells: The UK has regular discussions with the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and supports the efforts of the EU Special Representative on the implementation of human rights, including women's rights, in Afghanistan.
	Afghan women, excluded by the Taliban, now play an active part in everyday life in Afghanistan. Their equality is enshrined in the Afghan Constitution, which also protects their right to participate in Afghan political life. 27 per cent. of seats in the Lower House of the Afghan Parliament are held by women. Women also enjoy equal access to the Afghan education system. 37 per cent. of students in Afghanistan are girls and a third of teachers are women. 19 per cent. of students enrolled in higher education are women. In addition, the Constitution requires the Government to uphold its obligations under international law. Rape and forced marriage are prohibited by Afghanistan's obligations under the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, both of which Afghanistan has ratified. That said, securing the full participation of Afghan women in all sectors of the economy and society will take time and we acknowledge that serious problems remain. We remain committed to working with the Afghan Government and their international partners to improve women's ability to exercise their rights.
	Although the situation of women in Iran is in some respects better than in other countries in the region, we remain concerned about the discrimination faced by women in Iran. Domestic violence remains a serious problem, women's participation in the labour forceis low and women continue to face significant discrimination in the legal system. For example, the evidence of a woman is worth less than that of a man in court, and women do not enjoy equal rights in cases involving divorce, inheritance or the custody of children.
	We raise women's rights and other human rights concerns regularly with the Iranian authorities, bilaterally and through the EU. We were pleased that all EU countries co-sponsored a draft resolution at this year's UN General Assembly, approved by Third Committee on 21 November, which expressed serious concern at the continuing violence and discrimination against women and girls, and called upon the Iranian Government to
	"eliminate, in law and in practice, all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls".

Afghanistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Government of Afghanistan on tackling violence against women in Afghanistan.

Kim Howells: The UK has regular discussions with the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) and supports the efforts of the EU Special Representative on the implementation of human rights, including women's rights, in Afghanistan. The Afghan Constitution requires the Afghan Government to uphold their obligations under international law. Afghanistan is a party to the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which prohibit rape and forced marriage. Challenges remain but we are committed to assist the Afghan Government in the implementation of their international obligations.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), through the Global Opportunities Fund (GOF), is sponsoring a number of projects specifically designed to empower women, by increasing their access to justice, improving their living standards, promoting their equal participation in governance, creating a professional network of women's rights organisations and promoting access to information through the radio. Through the GOF, the FCO supports the UK Bar Human Rights Committee project of human rights training for legal practitioners with a specific focus on women's rights (£240,000 over three years). Other projects include Global Rights: Women's Rights Advocacy in Afghanistan, which will produce a report on violations of women's rights focusing on domestic violence, and a parallel report on CEDAW implementation (£165,000); and Action Aid: Afghan Women Affecting Change, which aims to create a professional network of women's rights organisations (£157,000).

Bangladesh

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of recent protests against President Iajuddin Ahmed in Dhaka.

Kim Howells: We understand that the protests relate to President Iajuddin Ahmed's assumption of the office of Chief Adviser to the Caretaker Government and his performance in that office as the Caretaker Government prepare for Bangladesh's general elections due in January 2007. The Caretaker Government must be judged on their ability to provide an environment conducive for holding free, fair, peaceful and accepted elections while acting in an inclusive, transparent and non-partisan way. We call on the parties to engage constructively and responsibly with the Caretaker Government to achieve this.

Bangladesh

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of recent claims by the Awami League of bias by local officials and electoral register tampering in the run-up to Bangladeshi elections.

Kim Howells: It is vital that the Bangladesh general elections are free, fair, peaceful and accepted by the people of Bangladesh and by the international community. The legitimacy of the next Government is dependent on the conduct of these elections. Recent election evaluation missions by UN, EU and United States have consistently identified important points that need to be addressed to ensure elections reach the required standards.
	We expect the Election Commission and all officials involved with the electoral process to operate with competence and independence. The Caretaker Government overseeing the elections have a responsibility to ensure that there is no political bias and should act in an inclusive, transparent and non-partisan way. They will be judged on their ability to do so and more generally to provide an appropriate environment for the elections. In this regard the recently announced measures to update the voter list are to be welcomed. We call on the parties to engage constructively and responsibly with the Caretaker Government during their term of office.

Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the extent is of UK participation in the EU action plan on the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention; why action at the EU level is required in this area; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The EU agreed a strategy against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in 2003, which is an important co-ordinating document. The EU action plan on biological and toxin weapons is complementary to that strategy and other EU work on the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. Itsets out practical steps for EU member states in implementing their strategy. All EU partners, including the UK, have submitted confidence building measures mechanism returns in 2006, which enables the EU to have a firmer base for encouraging other States Parties to submit them. The EU have also agreed to submit lists of experts and laboratories to the UN Secretary-General which is in line with the UN General Assembly's encouragement to the UN Secretary-General to update the list, so as to permit timely and efficient investigation of alleged use of biological and chemical weapons.

Burma

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the political situation in Burma.

Ian McCartney: We remain deeply concerned about the political situation in Burma. The people of Burma do not enjoy the most basic freedoms and there is little immediate prospect of positive change. No genuine progress towards democracy can be made while more than a thousand people are being held in prison, and many others are exiled, for their political beliefs or while the Burmese army continues its attacks on Burma's ethnic groups.
	The democratic opposition cannot participate fully and freely in the National Convention process, which is wholly controlled by the Burmese regime. The length of this process alone, which has endured for 13 years, calls into question the regime's willingness to embark on a genuine path to democratisation and national reconciliation.
	I have raised the political and human rights situation consistently with the Burmese regime and international partners. On 16 June, I called in the Burmese ambassador and on 5 July I wrote to the Burmese Foreign Minister, highlighting our many concerns and reiterating our call for the immediate release of all political prisoners. On 18 September, I raised the serious human rights situation with Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) ambassadors, including the Burmese ambassador, and on4 December with the ASEAN Secretary-General and the Brunei Foreign Minister. I have also raised Burma with the Governments of China, India, Japan, Thailand and South Korea. I met Juan Mendes, the UN special adviser for the prevention of genocide, and have invited him to come to the House on 14 December to discuss Burma. I discussed Burma in detail with Ibrahim Gambari, the United Nations Under-Secretary General, on 15 November, following his most recent visit to the country.

Casinos

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which casino operators officials from her Department met in 2005-06; whether the Department for Trade and Industry provided papers for the meetings; and if she will make such papers available along with the minutes and agendas of the meetings.

Ian McCartney: During 2005-06, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials in Los Angeles, including the Consul-General, met representatives of two casino operators on three occasions:
	On 18 July 2005, the Consul-General and a member of his staff met Mr. Rob Goldstein, President of the Venetian, in Las Vegas.
	On 23 August 2005, the Consul-General in Los Angeles met Mr. Peter George, Senior Vice President, International Development of Harrah's Entertainment Inc.
	On 20 February 2006, the Consul-General in Los Angeles attended a fundraiser for Hurricane Katrina victims in Las Vegas. During this event, the Consul-General had a brief discussion with Mr. Gary Loveman, chief executive officer of Harrah's Entertainment Inc.
	The Department of Trade and Industry did not provide any papers in advance of these meetings and due to commercial confidentiality we are not in a position to make the minutes and documents publicly available.
	Other than these meetings and following a Department-wide trawl, we are not aware of any other meetings between FCO officials and casino operators during this period.

Dalits

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has received on the position of the Dalits in India; if she will make representations to the Indian Government on the upholding of the Indian constitution with regard to treatment of the Dalits; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and our high commission in New Delhi are in contact with a range of civil society organisations in the UK and in India and regularly receive representations on issues relating to minority rights in India, including the position of Dalits.
	Officials at the high commission also have regular discussions on minority rights, including Dalit rights, with the Government of India at central and state level. They have held discussions with national level bodies such as the National Human Rights Commission, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (Dalits) and Scheduled Tribes and the National Commission for Minorities, most recently in June 2006.
	In December 2005, as presidency of the EU, the UK led a constructive and positive EU-India human rights dialogue with the Government of India.

Departmental Officials

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials from her Department are based in  (a) Israel and  (b) the Occupied Palestinian Territories on a(i) temporary and (ii) permanent basis; and what the length of service in each location is of each official.

Kim Howells: There are 14 Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff on substantive postings at the British Consulate-General in Jerusalem and 17 at the British embassy in Tel Aviv.
	Tours of duty are usually between two and three years, but can be extended or reduced in some circumstances.

Development Aid

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions Ministers and officials from her Department have had with Ministers and officials from the Department for International Development on development assistance in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and if she will list the Ministers and officials involved in each case.

Kim Howells: Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development Ministers and officials, both in London and in Jerusalem, have a continuous dialogue on development assistance in the Occupied Territories. However, it is not our policy to provide details of all such meetings.

Diplomatic Traffic Violations

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was incurred in outstanding parking and other traffic violation fines in each of the last five years by embassy staff on official duties in each country where her Department's employees are deployed in the Diplomatic Service.

Geoff Hoon: We do not hold records centrally on any parking or traffic violations incurred by UK diplomatic staff overseas and this could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All Government staff based overseas are required to maintain the UK's reputation for high standards of behaviour and respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state.

Doha Trade Round

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the prospects for resurrecting the Doha trade talks.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government welcome the resumption of discussions in the World Trade Organisation Working Groups in Geneva since mid-November. This is a positive development, and it is important that all WTO members capitalise on the new momentum. The Government's priority is to encourage WTO members to show additional flexibility and commitment during the window of opportunity to deliver real progress towards an ambitious, pro-development outcome to the Doha Development Agenda (DDA).

Ethiopia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Government of Ethiopia on independence of the judiciary.

Ian McCartney: The independence of the judiciary is a stated priority for the Government of Ethiopia. Along with other partners, we are working to support the reform of the justice sector in Ethiopia and discuss these issues with Government officials in the Ministry of Justice whenever appropriate.
	Most recently, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office sponsored a group of senior Ethiopian members of the judiciary to visit the UK to assist with their justice sector reform programme.

Ethiopia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the level of political freedom in Ethiopia.

Ian McCartney: The election in May 2005 marked a step change in the democratisation process in Ethiopia. The degree of political freedom and debate in the run- up to the election was unprecedented. We were disturbed that subsequent disputes over the election results led to civil unrest and violence, widespread arrests and allegations of human rights abuses. The main opposition leaders and some civil society representatives remain in detention facing serious charges including genocide and treason. Since the election there has been a closing down of political space for the opposition, the independent media and civil society.
	We continue to encourage both the Government and opposition to move forward with the democratisation process and to work towards political reconciliation. We have a regular dialogue with the Government on governance and human rights issues and the Government are now beginning to take steps to create space for opposition parties to contribute and participate in the House of Peoples' Representatives. We continue to urge the Government to open up the political space and encourage open debate with all parts of society.

Ethiopia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the treatment of Supreme Court President Teshale Aberra by the Government of Ethiopia.

Ian McCartney: Teshale Aberra, the Oromia region Supreme Court President made allegations about his treatment by the Ethiopian authorities. We have no information to confirm such reports, but we continue to urge the Government of Ethiopia to comply with international human rights standards and respect individual human rights.

European Commission

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal opinion she has obtained on the size of the European Commission after 2009.

Geoff Hoon: The legal position on the size of the European Commission after 2009 is clear. The provisions are set out in the Protocol on enlargementof the European Union adopted at Nice. The Protocol requires that following the accession of the 27th member state, the number of Commissioners shall, from the date on which the first Commission takes up its duties (i.e. 2009), be less than the number of member states.

Extradition

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the UK has had with the United Arab Emirates on extradition agreements; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The UK negotiated an extradition treaty with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the summer. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary signed the treaty with the Emirati Minister of Justice at Lancaster House on 6 December.
	The treaty is one element in a package of crime-fighting measures. Other elements include a mutual legal assistance treaty and a treaty on civil and commercial matters.
	The UAE is a key partner for the UK in particularin work on financial crime—including VAT fraud, counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism. This package of measures will enhance our ability to work in close co-operation with the UAE on these important issues.

Extraordinary Rendition

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of whether the practice of extraordinary rendition complies with British obligations under (a) the Human Rights Act 1998 and  (b) the UN Convention on Torture.

Kim Howells: The terms 'rendition' or 'extraordinary rendition' are currently used to describe informal transfers of individuals in a wide range of circumstances. In this context, our policy on the use of UK airports or airspace is clear and fully compliant with our legal obligations. We have not facilitated, and will not facilitate the transfer of individuals through the UK to places where there are substantial grounds to believe they would face a real risk of torture. Nor would we assist another state in doing so were it to put us in breach of UK laws or our international obligations.

Extraordinary Rendition

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has received on the practice of extraordinary rendition.

Kim Howells: We are aware of public concern and receive regular representations on this matter from a wide range of sources.

Extraordinary Rendition

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the findings of the European Parliament report on rendition.

Kim Howells: The European Parliament (EP) report is still in draft and we are studying its contents. We have co-operated fully with the EP's inquiry, including through a meeting between a delegation from the Temporary Committee on the Alleged Use of European Countries for the Transport and Illegal Detention of Prisoners with my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe. As we have made clear on a number of occasions, most notably in the written ministerial statement by my right hon. Friend the then Foreign Secretary on 20 January 2006,  Official Report, columns 37-38WS, we have found no evidence of detainees being rendered through the UK or Overseas Territories since11 September 2001.

Guantanamo Bay

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on the release of UK citizens detained at Guantanamo Bay; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: There are no British citizens detained at Guantanamo Bay.

India

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Government of India about  (a) the status of and  (b) human rights abuses against the Dalit community.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no recent discussions with the Government of India about the status of, or human rights abuses against the Dalit community. However, officials at our high commission in New Delhi have had discussions on a range of issues relating to minorities, including Dalits and Dalit rights, with the National Minorities Commission, most recently in June.

Islamic Terrorism

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions  (a) her Department and  (b) the Intelligence Service have had with Salah Abdallah Gosh on Islamic terrorism;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the role of Salah Abdallah Gosh in tackling terrorism;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the role of Salah Abdallah Gosh in crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Ian McCartney: General Salah Abdallah Ghosh is head of the Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Services, the functions of which include counter-terrorism. UK officials have periodically discussed counter-terrorism with him.
	The UK strongly supported UN Security Council Resolution 1593, which referred the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC's investigation is ongoing. It is for the ICC to decide who should be held accountable for crimes against humanity and other crimes within its purview.

Kashmir

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the cost of the conflict in Kashmir in each year since 2003.

Kim Howells: I have made no assessment of the cost of the conflict in Kashmir.

Kashmir

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further confidence building measures are planned in respect of Kashmir; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We welcome the continued dialogue between India and Pakistan over all outstanding issues, including Kashmir. In contacts with the Governments of India and Pakistan, we have encouraged them to continue efforts to build trust and confidence and improve the lives of ordinary Kashmiris.

Kashmir

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the draft report by Baroness Nicholson MEP for the European Parliament on Kashmir.

Kim Howells: The European Parliament is currently engaged in its own internal procedures in preparation of a report on the situation in Kashmir. I think it would be premature to comment at this stage. I look forward to reading the final report when it is issued in spring 2007.

Kashmir

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of General Musharraf's four-point solution to achieve peace in Kashmir; what representations she has made to the Governments of  (a) India and  (b) Pakistan on the proposal; what reports she has received from the (i) British high commission in New Delhi and (ii) British high commission in Pakistan on the proposal; and what steps she plans to take to help achieve a peaceful resolution in Kashmir.

Kim Howells: I have read with interest President Musharraf's recent press interviews on Kashmir and India-Pakistan relations. The UK continues to urge both India and Pakistan to seek a lasting resolution to the issue of Kashmir, which takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. I have not spoken to the Governments of Pakistan or India on President Musharraf's latest press statement.

Kenya

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the level of corruption in the  (a) Government and  (b) public sector in Kenya.

Ian McCartney: Grand-scale corruption continues in Kenya. Kenya was ranked 142 out of 163 countries in the recently published 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International. By comparison Uganda was at position 105 and Tanzania at 93.
	We want to see action taken over the major corruption scandals, e.g. the Anglo-Leasing and Goldenberg investigations, and the anti-corruption institutions strengthened. We stand ready to assist in any way we can, including through Mutual Legal Assistance to recover stolen assets, but the Government need to demonstrate their commitment to their citizens to take action.

Kenya

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the potential effects of recent ministerial appointments by the Government of Kenya on  (a) corruption and  (b) good governance in that country.

Ian McCartney: The stepping aside of three Ministers in early 2006 following allegations of their involvement in corruption was unprecedented in Kenya. This move was welcomed by all those supporting the Kenyan Government's stated objective to tackle widespread corruption.
	Two of the Ministers, George Saitoti and Kiraitu Murungi, were re-appointed to Government on15 November. These appointments have raised further concerns about the Government's commitment to fully address corruption and improve the wider governance environment.

Maldives

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the treatment of opposition activist detainees in the Maldives.

Kim Howells: We have received no reliable information on the treatment of detainees. However, we are concerned at reports that at least 120 Maldivian Democratic Party activists have been detained in recent weeks, 20 of whom may now have been released. We call on the Maldivian Government to resolve promptly the cases of those still held in detention through due process and with regard for their human rights.

Maldives

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Government of the Maldives on  (a) human rights,  (b) freedom of expression and  (c) the right to peaceful assembly.

Kim Howells: In Male on 2-3 December, our high commissioner accredited to Maldives, but resident in Colombo, raised our concerns with President Gayoom, the Foreign Minister, and senior Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leaders, and during an address to the MDP National Council. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials also discuss such issues with the Maldivian Government. Most recently senior officials met with the Foreign Minister, Dr. Shaheed in London on 1 December.
	We are concerned about human rights in Maldives, which acceded to the UN International Convention on Civil and Political Rights on 19 September 2006. We continue to underline to the Maldivian Government that all allegations of human rights violations must be effectively investigated. We trust that the recently reconstituted Human Rights Commission of Maldives will be appropriately empowered and resourced todo so.

Military Commissions Act

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 on British citizens in custody in  (a) the United States and  (b) United States dependent territories.

Kim Howells: There are currently no British nationals in custody in the US or the US dependent territories who are likely to be affected by this Act.

Military Commissions Act

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what recent discussions she has had with the US Administration on the Military Commissions Act passed in September 2006;
	(2)  what recent discussions she has had with the US Administration on the  (a) definition of and  (b) rights of an unlawful enemy combatant in international law;
	(3)  what recent discussions she has had with the US Administration on the rights of unlawful enemy combatants;
	(4)  what recent discussions she has had with the US Administration on the application of habeas corpus to unlawful enemy combatants;
	(5)  what recent discussions she has had with the Government of the United States on the practice of extraordinary rendition.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office regularly discusses a wide range of detainee issues, including the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and rendition, with the US Government.

Military Commissions Act

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the compliance of the US Military Commissions Act with international law.

Kim Howells: We are continuing to study the provisions of the Military Commissions Act 2006.

Ministerial Visits

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what visits Ministers and officials from her Department made to  (a) Israel and  (b) the Occupied Palestinian Territories in each of the last 12 months; and if she will list the Ministers and officials involved in each case.

Kim Howells: I visited Israel and the Occupied Territories in July 2006. There have been a number of visits by officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office throughout 2006, but it is not our policy to provide specific details about visits made by officials.

Nigeria

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the security situation in Nigeria.

Ian McCartney: We advise against all travel to Bakassi Peninsula and to the riverine areas of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States because of the current security situation in Nigeria. Riverine areas are generally classed to be those accessible only by boat. We advise against all but essential travel to Akwa Ibom State and the rest of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States and that those travelling to these states should take full, appropriate security advice and ensure that robust precautions are in place.
	Our general assessment of the security situation in Nigeria can be found under Safety and Security on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) travel advice page for Nigeria. We update this regularly in the light of events on the ground. Among other things, it covers terrorism, crime, road and air safety and the general political situation. The travel advice page for Nigeria is available on the FCO website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618386298

Nuclear Disarmament

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with  (a) other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council,  (b) the non-nuclear armed members of NATO,  (c) India,  (d) Pakistan and  (e) Israel on the merits of the United Kingdom decommissioning its nuclear weapons (i) unilaterally and (ii) via multilateral negotiations.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office holds frequent and regular discussion with all the above-mentioned countries and the wider UN membership on the full range of disarmament issues through our participation in, inter alia, the Non-Proliferation treaty, the Conference on Disarmament, the UN Disarmament Committee and the UN First Committee. The UK strongly believes that the best way to achieve our goal of a safer world, free from nuclear weapons, is through consensus.

Nuclear Weapons

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her United States counterpart on taking forward the multilateral nuclear disarmament proposals contained in the United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/54/54Q (1999) on the follow-up to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons.

Kim Howells: The UN General Assembly Resolution calls for the early conclusion of a nuclear weapons convention. The Government consider the treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime and the framework for nuclear disarmament. The UK has an excellent record in implementing its disarmament obligations under Article VI of the NPT and, in this regard, continues to press for multilateral negotiations towards mutual, balanced and verifiable reductions in nuclear weapons. The Government do not support any new process, including a nuclear weapons convention, which could risk cutting across the existing NPT regime.
	I have not, therefore, held any discussions with my US counterpart on this proposal.

Nuclear Weapons

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will publish the legal advice received by the Government that underpins the policy position that retention and renewal of the UK's nuclear weapons is consistent with the UK's international legal obligations set out in the White Paper, "The Future of The United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent", CM 6994.

Kim Howells: Legal issues are dealt with in the White Paper and accompanying factsheet. Legal advice received by the Government is confidential.

OSCE

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Governments have made representations on the future chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe; and whether the United Kingdom has declared its support for a candidate.

Kim Howells: Spain and Finland will chair the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Kazakhstan has expressed interest in chairing the OSCE in 2009, Greece and Lithuania in 2010, Albania in 2012 and Bulgaria in 2013. The chairmanship for 2009 will be decided at the latest at the Ministerial Council in Madrid in 2007.
	The issue of a Kazakhstan chairmanship was discussed with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister during President Nazarbayev's visit in November 2006. The UK position is that any future chair will needto exemplify the standards and commitments of the organisation. Our support will be based on this criterion.

Polonium 210

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will list the countries she has identified as having conducted experiments using polonium 210.

Kim Howells: Any country with a reactor has the ability to produce polonium 210 and therefore carry out experiments with it. However, polonium 210 is not subject to International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards and does not have to be reported to the agency, so even countries without a reactor could carry out experiments if they had a supply from a producing country. The UK, Russia, US and France are recognised as producing sealed polonium 210 sources for commercial use; as a neutron source, for eliminating static charges in textile mills, used on brushes for removing dust from photographic films, thermoelectric power in space satellites, etc.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had  (a) at the UN and  (b) with the US Administration about implementing (i) a no-fly zone over Darfur, (ii) an arms embargo against Sudan and (iii) targeted sanctions, travel bans and asset freezes against those suspected of involvement in illegal mass killings in Darfur.

Ian McCartney: The UK holds regular discussions with the UN and US, as well as with other UN Security Council partners, about all of these issues. We continue to consider, along with our Security Council partners, any action which may help resolve the conflict in Darfur.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the extent to which the security situation in the Central African Republic is a consequence of the fighting in Sudan and Chad; what plans she has to try to prevent a further spread of the violence; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The north-eastern province of Vakaga in the Central African Republic has increasingly been used as both a conduit and base for Sudanese and Chadian rebel groups, over the last eight months. This has created further instability. Central African Republic rebel groups have become increasingly active within this region, capturing three towns within Vakaga during November, and in the north-west of the country. The Central African Republic's armed forces, assisted by forces from the French and FOMUC, the EU-funded African peace mission, have now stabilised the Vakaga region, although the situation remains tense.
	We press the Government of Sudan regularly on the need for a viable ceasefire in Darfur, and to stop supporting Chadian rebel groups. We have pressed both the Chad and Sudan Governments to fulfil their obligations under the Tripoli agreement, and will continue to do so. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office met with the Chadian ambassador on 20 November and raised our concerns over the security situation in both Chad and the Central African Republic, particularly in the border regions.
	We also continue to raise our concerns over the situation in the Central African Republic through the EU and the UN. The UN is expected to report shortly on prospects for a mission in Chad and the Central African Republic, as mandated under UN Security Council Resolution 1706.

Sudan

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State forForeign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to establish a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Darfur.

Ian McCartney: Since signature of the Darfur Peace Agreement in May 2006, we have been in regular contact with the Government of Sudan, Minni Minnawi and the non-signatory rebel groups. We are pressing for an immediate and strengthened ceasefire; a process to secure the support of the non-signatory groups for the agreement; and an effective peacekeeping operation. The international community and the Government of Sudan agreed a way forwardon these issues at the Addis Ababa meeting on16 November, which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development attended. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister telephoned President Bashir on 22 November to urge him to accept this package, which has since been endorsed by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union. We continue to call on him to do so. We remain committed to finding a peaceful resolution to this appalling conflict.

Sudan

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had on sending a UN peace-keeping force to the Darfur region.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development attended a high-level meeting on the future of the African Union (AU) Mission in Sudan (AMIS) in Addis Ababa on16 November. The meeting agreed that the UN should provide a light support package followed by a heavy support package to AMIS. The meeting agreed that this would be the precursor to the force becoming a joint AU/UN operation, with a substantial increase in the number of personnel. These conclusions were accepted by the AU Peace and Security Council at its meeting on 30 November. My right hon. Friendthe Prime Minister telephoned President Bashir on22 November to encourage him to work with the international community in implementing the outcome of the Addis and Abuja meetings. We continue to call on him to do so. And we will remain in regular contact with other nations and with the UN on the issue.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of statements by the President of Sudan that there is no famine or genocide in Darfur.

Ian McCartney: During a press conference on27 November in Khartoum, President Bashir denied reports of starvation in Darfur and claimed that the number of those killed by fighting to date in Darfur was less than 9,000.
	The UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator Jan Egeland estimates that up to four million people in Darfur are dependent on food aid. The most commonly quoted estimate of numbers killed in the conflict in Darfur is 200,000. However, the exact figure is unlikely ever to be known.
	The UN-appointed International Commission of Inquiry concluded in January last year that the Sudanese Government had not pursued a policy of genocide. But it found that grave violations of human rights and war crimes had been committed by all sides. The Commission also concluded that individuals may have had genocidal intent. It will be for the International Criminal Court to decide whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant prosecutions for genocide.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the role of the Sudan Government in the violence in Chad that has spread from Darfur.

Ian McCartney: We are very concerned about the current situation in Chad. We assess that it is fuelled partly by cross-border interference from Sudan. We continue to call on both the Government of Sudan and the Government of Chad to stop supporting each other's rebels and to fulfil their obligations under the Tripoli Agreement. A UN Assessment Mission travelled to Chad from 28 November to 3 December to look at what the UN could do to improve security in refugee camps and border areas. We are pressing the UN Secretary-General to report back quickly with options for an international presence in the Chad/Darfur border region.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Government of Chad on the violence that has spread from Darfur.

Ian McCartney: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Officials met with the Chadian Ambassador on20 November and raised our concerns over the security situation in Chad and the stability of the region as a whole.
	We press the Government of Sudan regularly on the need for a viable ceasefire in Darfur and to stop supporting Chadian rebel groups. We also continueto urge both the Government of Chad and the Government of Sudan to fulfil their obligations under the Tripoli Agreement and respect each other's borders.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of which countries are providing arms and military equipment to Sudan.

Ian McCartney: There is an EU embargo on the sale of arms to Sudan. There is no such UN embargo. China, Russia and Belarus are among the major suppliers of arms and military equipment to Sudan.
	There is, however, a UN arms embargo on Darfur. The UN Sanctions Panel of Experts, who monitorthe embargo, has stated that a significant number of weapons continue to enter Darfur from the rest of Sudan and from neighbouring countries, particularly from Chad. The Panel continues to investigate the identity of who is responsible.
	The UK is committed to achieving more effective implementation of the embargo. We strongly supported the recent strengthening of the Panel of Experts; and are working to bolster the African Union Mission in Darfur. We continue to consider with Security Council partners what further action may be necessary.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the decision by the UN Human Rights Council to reject a resolution calling upon the Sudan Government to prosecute those responsible for atrocities in Darfur.

Ian McCartney: The UK pushed for a strong result on Darfur at the Human Rights Council. The EU tabled a resolution which called, among other things, on all parties to assist in bringing to justice those responsible for grave crimes under international law, and for the Human Rights Commissioner to report follow-up at the Human Rights Council in March 2007. However, the resolution on Sudan adopted by the Council on 28 November was unacceptably weak. The UK subsequently played an active role in securing an emergency session of the Human Rights Council on Darfur, to be held on 12 December, where we will push for an expert human rights assessment mission to the region.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the prospects for a UN force with a Chapter VIII mandate being sent to Darfur.

Ian McCartney: Chapter VIII of the UN Charter deals with regional arrangements relating to the maintenance of international peace and security and provides for the continued existence of such arrangements provided they are consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN.
	It authorises the Security Council to utilise in appropriate cases regional arrangements or agencies for enforcement action under its authority. However, unless the Security Council authorises action under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, the consent of the Government of Sudan will be required for any such deployment.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development attended a high-level meeting chaired by the Secretary-General of the UN on the future of the African Union (AU) Mission in Sudan (AMIS) in Addis Ababa on 16 November. The meeting agreed deployment of UN light and heavy support packages to AMIS as the precursor to the force becoming a joint AU/UN operation. These conclusions were accepted by the AU Peace and Security Council at its meeting on 30 November. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister telephoned President Bashir on 22 November to urge him to accept this package. We continue to call on him to do so. We remain in regular contact with other nations and with the UN on the issue.

Tajikistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the  (a) freedom and  (b) fairness of the recent elections in Tajikistan.

Geoff Hoon: The latest Presidential elections in Tajikistan took place on 6 November 2006. 170 international observers, from 32 countries, observed the voting and counting on behalf of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
	We share the preliminary assessment of the ODIHR election observers. They concluded that democratic practices were not fully tested because of the absence of genuine competition, thus providing voters with only nominal choice. The ODIHR observers noted that significant improvements are required in both the legal framework and a number of technical aspects including a lack of transparency in the decision-making process of the highest level of election administration. On a more positive note, there was some recognition by ODIHR of the efficient administration of the election and some improvements in the candidates' right to media access, participation of parties in local, but not national, electoral commissions and an improved framework for observers.
	On 14 November 2006 the Finnish Presidency issued a statement on behalf of the EU which also reflected these concerns but welcomed the peaceful atmosphere in which the elections took place.
	We strongly encourage the Tajik authorities to take this opportunity to work with ODIHR and the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe to address the areas of concern. Along with our EU partners, we stand ready to support the authorities in adopting the necessary reforms.

Uganda

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she plans to seek prosecution of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) in the International Criminal Court should peace talks between the LRA and the Government of Uganda fail.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 21 November,  Official Report, column 60W.

UN Troop Missions

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what recent discussions she has had with UN troop contributor Governments on the conduct of troops on UN missions;
	(2)  what recent discussions she has had with UN troops contributor Governments on the behaviour of troops on UN missions towards civilians.

Kim Howells: Foreign and Commonwealth Officeand Ministry of Defence officials have regular consultations with leading UN troop contributors, both bilaterally and in the context of UN General Assembly discussion, on a wide range of peacekeeping issues including peacekeeping doctrine, the role of peacekeepers in the protection of civilians, conduct and discipline, combating sexual exploitation and abuse, and the role of women in peace and security.

UN Troop Missions

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the involvement of UN troops in the ill-treatment of children in  (a) Haiti and  (b) Liberia.

Kim Howells: I have noted with concern recent allegations of the ill-treatment of children by UN peacekeepers in Haiti and Liberia. The UN held a High Level Conference on eliminating sexual exploitation and abuse by UN and non-governmental organisation personnel on 4 December. During this conference, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jane Holl Lute, stated that
	"all credible allegations would be investigated. A peacekeeper found to have committed such acts, at a minimum, would be repatriated, and there would be follow-up with the country regarding disposition of the case".
	The UK will be monitoring the progress of UN follow-up to these allegations closely.
	In Liberia, the Government, together with national and international partners, launched a campaign on4 December to combat sexual exploitation and abuse.

Zimbabwe

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Government of South Africa on Zimbabwe.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary most recently discussed the situation in Zimbabwe with the South African Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Zuma, on 21 September at the UN General Assembly. Our officials in South Africa also have regular discussions with their South African counterparts.
	South Africa will play a lead role in Zimbabwe's eventual rehabilitation. We continue to urge South Africa, both as a neighbour of Zimbabwe, and also as a strong voice in the South African Development Community (SADC), to work with SADC partners to address the crisis in Zimbabwe.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many staff were employed through employment agencies in  (a) her Department and  (b) each of its agencies in each of the last five years for which information is available; and what the (i) average and (ii) longest time was for which these temporary workers were employed in each year.

Harriet Harman: My Department has a national contract with Kelly Services Ltd. for the provision of agency staff. Information regarding the average number of staff employed through this agency appears as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Average number of agency workers 
			 2001-02 170 
			 2002-03 259 
			 2003-04 283 
			 2004-05 395 
			 2005-06 722 
		
	
	Information relating to workers employed through other employment agencies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The (i) average and (ii) longest length of time these workers were employed by my Department over the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Months 
			  Financial year  Average length of employment( 1)  Longest time of employment( 1) 
			 2001-02 1.5 45 
			 2002-03 3 28 
			 2003-04 3.5 37 
			 2004-05 3.5 48 
			 2005-06 3.5 53 
			 (1 )This figure includes the Public Guardianship Office. 
		
	
	 (b) Information related to agencies of DCA
	Information regarding the average number of staff employed through employment agencies by each of the DCA's agencies is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Average number of agency workers 
			  2000-02  
			 Northern Ireland Court Service (1)— 
			 National Archives (2)— 
			 Public Guardianship Office (3)— 
			   
			  2002-03  
			 Northern Ireland Court Service 52 
			 National Archives (2)— 
			 Public Guardianship Office (3)— 
			   
			  2003-04  
			 Northern Ireland Court Service 95 
			 National Archives 199 
			 Public Guardianship Office 100 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 Northern Ireland Court Service 49 
			 National Archives 121 
			 Public Guardianship Office 80 
			   
			  2005-06  
			 Northern Ireland Court Service 94 
			 National Archives 167 
			 Public Guardianship Office 74 
			 (1 )Information not held prior to 2002 (2 )Information not held prior to 2003 (3 )Information not available 
		
	
	HM Land Registry does not hold such information centrally and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Information regarding the (i) average and (ii) longest length of time these workers were employed by each of the DCA's agencies over the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			Months 
			  Financial year  Average length of employment  Longest time of employment 
			  2001-02   
			 Northern Ireland Court Service (1)— (1)— 
			 National Archives (2)— (2)— 
			 Public Guardianship Office (3)— (3)— 
			
			  2002-03   
			 Northern Ireland Court Service 3 11 
			 National Archives (2)— (2)— 
			 Public Guardianship Office (3)— (3)—(-) 
			
			  2003-04   
			 Northern Ireland Court Service 3.5 11 
			 National Archives (2)—(-) (2)— 
			 Public Guardianship Office (3)— (3)— 
			
			  2004-05   
			 Northern Ireland Court Service 4 11 
			 National Archives (2)— (2)—(-) 
			 Public Guardianship Office (3)— (3)— 
			
			  2005-06   
			 Northern Ireland Court Service 3 12 
			 National Archives (2)—(-) (2)— 
			 Public Guardianship Office (3)— (3)—(-) 
			 (1)Information not held prior to 2002 (2)Information not held (3)Information included in DCA answer 
		
	
	HM Land Registry does not hold such information centrally and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Website

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs why the web page of the Office of Public Sector Information relating to UK statutory instruments which apply exclusively or primarily to Northern Ireland has not been updated since 24 April 2006.

Vera Baird: The interim navigation page for Acts of the UK Parliament and UK statutory instruments which apply exclusively or primarily to Northern Ireland (http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/northernireland/ni-actsi.htm) is generally updated annually with the addition of a new year. It was updated on 24 April to reflect general changes made to the website otherwise it would not be due for updating until the first title is published during 2007. Northern Ireland statutory instruments for the current year are listed on the page UK statutory instruments which apply exclusively or primarily to Northern Ireland for 2006 (http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/northernireland/ni-si06.htm). This page was last updated on 21 November 2006.

Departmental Website

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs why the web page of the Office of Public Sector Information on 2005 statutory instruments relating exclusively or primarily to Northern Ireland has not been working; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: The supplementary menu page on the OPSI website for UK statutory instruments which apply exclusively or primarily to Northern Irelandfor 2005 (http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/northernireland/ni-si05.htm) contained some broken links. These have now been corrected. No other pages were affected. Despite this, all the statutory instruments listed on this page were available to the public through the main statutory instrument navigation scheme, links from external websites, via the site's search facility and directly through deep linking from external search engines. These would be the main route used by most users of the website so few users would have been inconvenienced by the fault. On average the page concerned is being viewed less than four times per day.

DHL

Anne Milton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much her Department paid to DHL in each financial year between 1997-98 and 2005-06.

Harriet Harman: Details of how much the Department has paid to DHL International (UK) Ltd. and DHL Express (UK) Ltd. in each financial year between 1997-98 and 2005-06 is tabled as follows.
	
		
			  DHL International (UK) Ltd. 
			  Period  Amount (£) 
			 2005-06 1,127.12 
			 2004-05 840.41 
			 2003-04 1,117.21 
			 2002-03 66.10 
			 2001-02 34.88 
			 2000-01 0.00 
			 1999-2000 21.18 
			 1998-99 0.00 
			 Total 3,206.90 
		
	
	
		
			  DHL Express (UK) Ltd. 
			  Period  Amount (£) 
			 2005-06 34,418.35 
			 2004-05 301.72 
			 2003-04 0.00 
			 2002-03 0.00 
			 2001-02 0.00 
			 2000-01 0.00 
			 1999-2000 0.00 
			 1998-99 0.00 
			 Total 34,720.07 
		
	
	Information on previous years is not available.

Family Courts

Tim Loughton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether her Department is considering proposals to give magistrates  (a) the authority and  (b) the training to deal directly with children within the family courts system; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: Magistrates are already able to deal with children directly under Part 21(3)(e) of the Family Proceedings Court (Children Act 1989) Rules 1991. There is an onus on the court under section 1(3) of the Children Act 1989 to ascertain the child's wishes considered in light of age and understanding, in cases where a children's guardian was appointed to act on behalf of the child or a Children and Family Reporter was requested to supply a report dealing with the child's wishes.
	It is not possible to indicate what training may be required in advance of any legislative change.
	The Separate Representation of Children consultation paper published on 1 September 2006 proposes a cultural change that will achieve a more child-centred family justice system. The consultation asks whether judges (including magistrates) should speak to children as a matter of course. The consultation is now closed and the findings of the consultation paper will be published in the new year.
	Separately, the "Review of the Child Care Proceedings System, in England and Wales", published in May 2006, recommended that the judiciary should be encouraged to address families directly during care proceedings, avoiding legal jargon. This is beingtaken forward by the judiciary together with other recommendations from this review. However, consideration will be given to how judicial training and best practice guidance can support this.

Inquests: Deaths in Service Overseas

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the projected timescale is for conducting the outstanding inquests for deaths of service men and women in Iraq which occurred before 16 May; what arrangements have been made for inquests into those deaths which occurred on or after 16 May; and if she will make a statement.

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many military deaths from  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan remain to be dealt with by the Oxfordshire Coroners Court.

Harriet Harman: I will be making a written ministerial statement shortly to update the House of progress in the Oxfordshire Coroner's jurisdiction.

Magistrates Courts

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was spent on  (a) maintaining and  (b) refurbishing (i) Barry, (ii) Rhondda and (iii) Aberdare magistrates courts in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: The amount spent on maintenance at the courthouses in the previous five years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Barry 62,023 146,975 143,810 86,316 57,000 
			 Rhondda 11,915 10,782 15,505 17,601 19,360 
			 Aberdare 18,004 15,379 29,889 32,506 25,598 
		
	
	Available figures for the amount spent on refurbishment at the courthouses is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Barry — 74,000 192,550 — — 
			 Rhondda — — 16,000 — — 
			 Aberdare — — 27,000 357,897 — 
		
	
	The refurbishment at Aberdare includes money spent on amalgamating the magistrates and county courts into one building.

Magistrates Courts

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many and what proportion of court cases in South Wales were heard in each magistrates court in South Wales in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: There are 10 magistrates courthouses in the South Wales area, which hear a variety of criminal and family cases. The following table shows the total number of cases each year and the percentage of each court of the total over the entire period.
	
		
			   Number of cases in:   
			  Court  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  Average case load per year  Case load over entire period  Percentage of case load for South Wales 
			 Aberdare 5,152 4,988 4,527 4,889 14,667 3.6 
			 Barry 10,058 10,679 10,245 10,327 30,982 7.6 
			 Bridgend 12,382 11,800 10,794 11,659 34,976 8.6 
			 Cardiff 47,332 46,493 48,636 47,487 142,461 34.9 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 8,187 8,485 7,661 8,111 24,333 6 
			 Neath and Port Talbot 12,005 14,070 11,668 12,581 37,743 9.2 
			 Pontypridd and Rhondda 17,829 17,738 15,939 17,169 51,506 12.6 
			 Swansea 24,361 26,119 21,031 23,837 71,511 17.5

Parliamentary Questions

David Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many parliamentary written questions her Department received in each parliamentary session since 2001; and how many of these questions  (a) were not answered because of disproportionate cost,  (b) were not answered,  (c) received answers referring back to a previous answer(i) asked by the hon. Member and (ii) asked by another hon. Member and  (d) were grouped together for answer.

Vera Baird: This is a matter for public record and can be found in the  Official Report.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departmental Costs

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was spent on websites within the Cabinet Office's responsibility in each year since 1997-98.

Patrick McFadden: Annual costs (including VAT) are shown in the following table. The figures include the costs for all Cabinet Office departments, including Executive agencies.
	
		
			  Financial year  Cabinet Office cost (£)  Directgov cost (£ million) 
			 2006-07 (estimate) 690,000 5.3 
			 2005-06 975,000 5.4 
			 2004-05 670,000 5.4 
		
	
	Cabinet Office website costs are not available before 2004-05 as budgets for communication activity (including website development and maintenance) were devolved to Cabinet Office business units.
	Directgov website costs (which cover services across government) are not available before 2004-05 as it was previously funded from within the UKOnline budget which was the responsibility of the Office of the e-Envoy (now eGU), and it has not been possible to obtain this financial information.
	The Cabinet Office costs shown include the following elements:
	web hosting and infrastructure leasing,
	security auditing and software,
	domain name registration and renewal,
	application development and maintenance,
	software licences and renewals, and
	telecommunications rental and usage.
	As the primary electronic channel to citizens for government, Directgov aims to be the one-place citizens turn to for the latest and widest range of public services. Directgov supports services on the web via www.direct.gov.uk, digital television (DTV) via Sky, ntl: and Telewest, and is available via mobile phones. Independent research has shown high levels of customer satisfaction, far exceeding the average rating for a government on-line service and on a par with the commercial sector.

Furniture

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was spent by the Cabinet Office on furniture made by British firms in each year since 2000.

Edward Miliband: The information requested isnot held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Parliamentary Questions

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if she will place in the Library a copy of the guidance published for Departments on answering parliamentary questions; and when the guidance was last updated.

Edward Miliband: The Cabinet Office "Guidance to Officials on Drafting Answers to Parliamentary Questions" was last updated in February 2005. Copies of the Guidance are available in the Library for the reference of Members.
	The hon. Lady may be aware that the disproportionate cost threshold when answering parliamentary questions has increased to £700. I refer her to the statement made by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on28 November 2006,  Official Report, column 87WS.

Social Exclusion

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment she has made of the effect of financial hardship upon social exclusion.

Patrick McFadden: A strong and stable economy and our commitment to eradicate child poverty helped ensure that the proportion of low-income families experiencing severe hardship fell by half between 1999 and 2002, from 36 per cent. to 17 per cent.

V Charity

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what funding her Department provided for the v charity launch event on 8 May 2006.

Edward Miliband: To date, v has been allocated£1.26 million for marketing and communications activities in 2006-07. The costs of the launch event were met from within this budget. The budget covers a range of marketing and communications activities devised to promote awareness of v to young people and others through conferences and events; development and production of promotional materials; market research; public relations and public affairs and the wider work of the marketing and communications team.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Companies Bill

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Trade and Industry pursuant to his answer of4 December 2006,  Official Report, column 15W, on the Companies Bill, what estimate he has made of the difference in savings to business between the point at which they were assessed as a result of discussions with businesses in the course of developing the Companies Bill and the Bill as it received Royal Assent.

Margaret Hodge: The Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) for the Companies Act 2006 is currently being reviewed and updated in the light of changes made to the Bill during its passage through Parliament, and further discussions with business and others over this period. A final RIA incorporating any necessary changes will be published shortly. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Consumer Direct

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many  (a) hits the Consumer Direct website received and  (b) consumer complaints were submitted to the website in each quarter since it became available.

Ian McCartney: The Consumer Direct website has received 1,234,832 hits to date. A breakdown of the use of the website is listed in the table (annex a).
	The number of complaints submitted through the Consumer Direct website for each quarter is listed in the table (annex b).
	The Government established Consumer Direct to offer practical advice for consumers. 350,000 consumers have had access to advice in this year alone, with estimated total benefits to consumers worth£135 million.
	
		
			  Annex( a) Consumer Direct website statistics 
			   Quarter 1  Quarter 2  Quarter 3  Quarter 4 
			  English language( 1) 
			 Page views 
			 2006 1,015,946 1,049,485 1,084,412 — 
			 2005 373,689 472,270 735,661 664,767 
			 2004 —- — — 309,388 
			  
			 Visits 
			 2006 213,784 221,872 232,206 — 
			 2005 76,174 105,412 166,277 152,901 
			 2004 — — — 62,254 
			  
			 Visitors 
			 2006 200,394 208,166 217,487 — 
			 2005 71,027 96,712 156,224 143,533 
			 2004 — — — 58,640 
			  
			  Welsh language( 2) 
			 Page views 
			 2006 1,276 1,160 1,189 — 
			 2005 — 1,507 1,061 955 
			 2004 — — — — 
			  
			 Visits 
			 2006 658 575 1,189 — 
			 2005 — 534 493 503 
			 2004 — — — — 
			  
			 Visitors 
			 2006 644 564 582 — 
			 2005 — 510 475 494 
			 2004 — — — — 
			 (1 )Statistics start on 30 September 2004 (2 )Statistics start on 31 March 2005  Note: Q3 is not finished 
		
	
	
		
			  Annex (b) Consumer complaints submitted to the Consumer Direct website in each quarter 
			   The regions 
			   EE( 1)  EM( 2)  LR( 3)  NE( 4)  NW( 5)  SC( 6)  SE( 7)  SW( 8)  WA( 9)  WM( 10)  YH( 11)  Total 
			  2004-05 
			 Q1 — — — — — — — — — — — 0 
			 Q2 — — — — — — — — — — — 0 
			 03 — — — — — — — — — — — 0 
			 Q4 — — — — — — — — — — — 0 
			  
			  2005-06 
			 Q1 — — — — — — — — — — — 0 
			 Q2 — — — — — — — — — — — 0 
			 Q3 — — — — — — — — — — — 0 
			 Q4 188 278 566 50 306 192 735 307 93 166 226 3,107 
			  2006-07 
			 Ql 420 631 1270 292 856 578 1,791 1,038 253 597 607 8,333 
			 Q2 462 644 1444 361 878 508 1,935 1,259 280 379 766 8,916 
			 Q3 188 229 473 127 315 243 705 420 113 204 239 3,256 
			 Q4 — — — — — — — — — — — 0 
			 23,612 
			 (1) East of England (2) East Midlands (3) London (4) North-East (5) North-West (6) Scotland (7) South-East (8) South-West (9) Wales (10) West Midlands (11) Yorkshire and the Humber  Source: Secure Post Office Message Tracking Report March-October 2006

Consumer Direct

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost of setting up and running the Consumer Direct helpline has been in each quarter since it became available.

Ian McCartney: The Office of Fair Trading became responsible for Consumer Direct on 1 April 2006. From historical information provided by DTI and OFT's own records, the cost of setting up and running the Consumer Direct helpline was:
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			  Year ended  
			 31 March 2004(1) 3,000,000 
			 31 March 2005(2) 12,500,000 
			 31 March 2006(2) 18,500,000 
			  Quarter ended  
			 30 June 2006 4,276,552 
			 30 September 2006 3,929,618 
			 (1) This data has been provided by DTI from page 11 of their Consumer Direct Programme Closure Report, June 2006 (D06/538302). (2 )Data was not provided broken down by quarter. 
		
	
	The Government established Consumer Directto offer practical advice for consumers. 350,000 consumers have had access to advice in this year alone, with estimated total benefits to consumers worth£135 million.

Consumer Direct

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many members of the public used the Consumer Direct helpline in each quarter since it became available, broken down by region.

Ian McCartney: The breakdown of the use of the Consumer Direct helpline is listed in the following table.
	The Government established Consumer Directto offer practical advice for consumers. 350,000 consumers have had access to advice in this year alone, with estimated total benefits to consumers worth£135 million.
	
		
			  Use of the Consumer Direct helpline 
			   EE( 1)  EM( 1)  LR( 1)  NE( 1)  NW( 1)  SC( 1)  SE( 1)  SW( 1)  WA( 1)  WM( 1)  YH( 1)  Total 
			  2004-05 
			 Q1 — — — — — 778 — — — — — 778 
			 Q2 — — — — — 24,029 — 15,251 13,320 — 23,864 76,464 
			 Q3 — — — — — 21,175 — 31,438 26,037 — 34,697 113,347 
			 Q4 1,326 — 1,728 — — 25,454 5,549 30,153 23,325 — 36,131 123,666 
			  
			  2005-06 
			 Q1 17,393 8,393 24,193 — — 22,354 35,890 29,025 21,744 — 35,150 194,142 
			 Q2 29,707 21,761 44,159 — — 22,062 50,175 36,379 22,541 — 38,822 265,606 
			 Q3 26,724 25,738 40,275 — 2,717 24,226 43,904 32,657 21,719 130 35,664 253,754 
			 Q4 34,767 30,184 48,551 4,251 34,850 23,772 58,178 35,113 22,974 16,769 36,769 346,178 
			  
			  2006-07 
			 Q1 35,242 29,113 43,702 14,459 42,970 25,614 60,087 34,747 23,598 24,696 34,917 369,145 
			 Q2 38,846 32,679 51,061 17,855 50,696 26,658 65,390 37,522 22,877 37,493 38,628 419,705 
			 Q3 23,497 17,578 26,343 9,344 31,830 15,897 36,191 26,573 15,112 19,426 24,690 246,481 
			 Q4 — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Total2,409,266 
			 (1) The regions: EE = East of England EM = East Midlands LR = London NE = North-East NW = North-West SC = Scotland SE = South East SW = South West WA = Wales WM = West Midlands YH = Yorkshire and the Humber  Source: ACD Daily Stats submitted by each Consumer Direct Regional Centre from inception to latest available data (week commencing20 November 2006).

Consumer Direct

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost to date has been of the Consumer Direct initiative.

Ian McCartney: The OFT became responsible for Consumer Direct on 1 April 2006. From historical information provided by DTI and OFT's own records, the cost of the Consumer Direct initiative to30 September 2006 has been £42,206,170.
	The Government established Consumer Direct to offer practical advice for consumers. 350,000 consumers have had access to advice in this year alone, with estimated total benefits to consumers worth£135 million.

Consumer Direct

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the budget of Consumer Direct is for each year until 2010; and whether he plans to continue to fund this service beyond this date.

Ian McCartney: The budget for Consumer Direct for each year until 2010 currently stands at £19,000,000. We are unable to confirm funding of this service beyond March 2010 until this is agreed between the OFT and Treasury.
	The Government established Consumer Directto offer practical advice for consumers. 350,000 consumers have had access to advice in this year alone, with estimated total benefits to consumers worth£135 million.

Consumer Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking over the Christmas period to alert consumers of the protection provided under legislation on the sale and supply of goods.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has no such plans. The protections available to consumers under the Sale of Goods Act 1979, in the event that goods purchased proved to be faulty, etc., are available to assist them throughout the year and not just over the festive season.
	Consumer Direct (08454 040506 or www.consumerdirect.gov.uk) provides clear, practical advice on consumer issues including purchases made under the Sale of Goods Act. Alternatively, local Citizen's Advice Bureaux (www.citizensadvice.org.uk) or local authority trading standards services (www.tradingstandards.gov.uk) can provide advice on how best to proceed with complaints. The local trading standards office for St. Albans is located at Hertfordshire county council, 45 Grosvenor Road,St. Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 3 AW. Telephone 08454 040506.

Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State forTrade and Industry when he will reply to letters of  (a) 15 May 2006 and  (b) 28 November 2006 from the hon. Member for Billericay on the EU Directive on Restriction of Hazardous Substances.

Malcolm Wicks: I responded to the hon. Gentleman's letter of 15 May 2006 on 18 May 2006. A copyhas been sent to his office for information. Unfortunately his letter of 28 November does not seem to have been received. A copy has been requested and a response will be provided as soon as possible.

Departmental Expenditure

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent by his Department on television advertisements in the last year for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department had no spend on television advertising in 2005-06.

Departmental Expenditure

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding his Department gave to the  (a) Hearing Aid Council,  (b) British Hallmarking Council,  (c) Manufacturing Advisory Service,  (d) Industrial Development Advisory Board,  (e) Ethnic Minority Business Forum and  (f) Equal Opportunities Commission in each of the last five years; and how much has been provided to each body in 2006-07.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has not provided any funding to the British Hallmark Council in the last five years or in the current year.
	Industrial Development Advisory Board and Ethnic Minority Business Forum are advisory non-departmental public bodies which do not directly receive funding from the Department. However, they are provided with secretariat support from the Department, which also meets the costs of members' honoraria and expenses where appropriate.
	The Manufacturing Advisory Service is not constituted as a separate entity. It is a programme operated by the Department, expenditure on which has been as follows:
	
		
			   Expenditure (£ million) 
			 2006-07 6.0 
			 2005-06 6.0 
			 2004-05 2.0 
			 2003-04 4.7 
			 2002-03 4.5 
			 2001-02 3.0 
		
	
	For the Hearing Aid Council, no funding has been given in 2006-07. Funding for previous years is set out in the annual Public Bodies Directory for the respective years; see website link
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/other/agencies/public_bodies/index.asp.
	The Equal Opportunities Commission has since April this year been the responsibility of the Department for Communities and Local Government. Funding for previous years is set out in the annual Public Bodies Directory for the respective years.

Departmental Responsibilities

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much his Department spent on statistics relating to the work of his Department in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There is no definition of the term "statistics relating to the work of the department" and no centrally held information on either the volume or costs of statistics published each year on this basis.
	Estimates for the annual costs of National Statistics are contained in the relevant National Statistics Annual Report and Accounts, which are available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=1051. Copies are also available in the Libraries of the House for the reference of Members.
	The last year these were produced was 2004-05.

Departmental Staff

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many  (a) marketing officers,  (b) communications officers and  (c) press officers are employed in his Department; and what the total expenditure on communications for his Department was on (i) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (ii) other (A) press officers, (B) special advisers and (C) staff in the last year for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: 69.7 (full time equivalent - FTE) communications staff were employed centrally within DTI in 2005-06, as follows:
	
		
			   FTE 
			 Press 14 
			 Marketing 22 
			 Internal and Electronic Communications 15 
			 Other Communications 14.7 
			 Administration 4 
		
	
	The pay bill for those staff during the same period was £2.9 million.
	Information on staff numbers in communications elsewhere in the Department is not held centrally and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
	The time spent by special advisers on communications work cannot be disaggregated from their other duties.

EC External Trade: Africa

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to ensure that bilateral trade negotiations between the EU and countries in Africa prioritise the development needs of the latter.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are currently being negotiated between the European Union and African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. These agreements will replace the trading arrangements established through the Cotonou Agreement between the EU and the ACP, which will lapse at the end of 2007.
	The UK recognises that trade can be an important driver of development and we are acting to ensurethat EPAs promote long-term development. The Government published a position paper on EPAs in March 2005. This states that, among other things, we will push for duty-free quota-free access for all ACP countries to the EU, simple and liberal Rules of Origin and that ACP should have maximum flexibility over their own market opening.
	The UK has expended considerable effort over the last year to ensure that the review of EPAs negotiations currently taking place provides a significant opportunity for the ACP to raise any concerns. Ministers take every opportunity to meet with ACP Ministers, negotiators and representatives in order to listen to any concerns they may have. We continue to work with our EU partners and other member states to ensure that the ACP should be in the driving seat of their own reform.

Electricity Supply

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment his Department has made of the expected electricity plant margin  (a) in each year between 2006 and 2009 and  (b) after 2009.

Alistair Darling: The expected electricity plant margin for winter 2006-07 as published in national grid's winter report
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/temp/ofgem/cache/cmsattach/16803_168_06.pdf
	is 22 per cent.
	The best assessment of the expected electricity plant margin over the years 2007 out to 2013 is illustrated in the following table, taken from national grid's Seven Year Statement of May 2006
	http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/SYS/current/.
	This gives projections against three generation scenarios, reflecting the extent to which proposed new transmission contracted plant does, in the event, proceed to completion, provided both by customers and national grid itself.
	
		
			  Percentage plant margin (SYS( 1)  update, May 2006)  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11  2011-12  2012-13 
			 Customer based—SYS(1) 21.3 22.6 33.0 35.6 43.6 46.6 46.2 
			 Customer based—C(2) 21.3 20.1 21.5 20.1 17.1 15.9 14.5 
			 Customer based—E,UC(3) 21.3 18.3 18.2 16.7 13.9 12.7 11.3 
			 NGET base—SYS(1) 22.6 25.7 37.1 40.3 49.2 52.8 53.0 
			 NGET base—C(2) 22.6 23.2 25.2 24.2 21.7 20.8 19.8 
			 NGET based—E,UC(3) 22.6 21.3 21.8 20.8 18.3 17.4 16.5 
			 (1) In addition to all existing plant: plant where an appropriate contract is in place for connection to and use of the transmission system, less notified reductions in capacity from plant closures or plant being mothballed (2 )In addition to all existing plant: plant that has obtained consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act and section 14 of the Energy Act 1976, less notified reductions in capacity from plant closures or plant being mothballed (3 )In addition to all existing plant which is actually under construction, less notified reductions in capacity from plant closures or plant being mothballed.  Source:  National grid

Employment Agencies

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employment agencies have been prosecuted in the last 12 months for breaches of the  (a) Employment Agencies Act 1973 and  (b) Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations 2003, broken down by offence.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In the last 12 months, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate has brought one successful prosecution. This case related to a person breaching Section 3 of the Employment Agencies Act 1973, operating an employment agency while prohibited. There have been no prosecutions under the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003.

Energy: Small Businesses

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what length of cooling-off period energy suppliers are legally obliged to offer small businesses which agree to energy supply contracts.

Malcolm Wicks: Suppliers are not required, either in general consumer law or the regulations governing the marketing of gas and electricity, to offer a cooling-off period to non-domestic customers when offering a supply contract. Non-domestic customers, who have a complaint against a supplier that they have been unable to resolve, may pursue it through the statutory gas and electricity consumer body, Energywatch, or through the courts.

Energy: Small Businesses

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what  (a) regulatory and  (b) self-regulatory protection is afforded to small business consumers in the (i) energy and (ii) fixed-line telecommunications markets.

Malcolm Wicks: GB energy markets are regulated by Ofgem, whose principal statutory objective is to protect the interest of consumers, including small businesses. Ofgem's main role is to issue and enforce licences by which participation in the GB energy sector is required. Attached to these licences are various industry and best practice codes to ensure all users get the best deal. Energywatch, the statutory consumer body, can investigate complaints on behalf of electricity and gas users.
	The regulation of the fixed line telecommunications market is the responsibility of Ofcom. Ofcom's principal statutory duty is to further the interests of consumers, including small businesses. Ofcom imposes conditions on fixed line providers to ensure all users get the best possible deal from the market and there are also various industry codes in place to protect the interests of users. In addition Ofcom requires that all fixed line providers must be members of dispute resolution schemes, which can investigate complaints on behalf of users, including small businesses.

Energy: Small Businesses

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with  (a) Ofgem and  (b) energy suppliers on the level of regulatory protection afforded to small businesses in the energy market.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has regular meetings with Ofgem and suppliers, at which a range of issues are discussed. As both my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and Ofgem share a statutory principal objective of protecting the interests of consumers, including small businesses, consumer protection is at the heart of energy regulatory policy. Specifically, I recently met intermediaries representing suppliers to the industrial and commercial market at which a broad agenda was addressed.

Energy: Small Businesses

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the level of regulatory protection afforded to small businesses in the energy market; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: GB energy markets are regulated by Ofgem, whose main role is to issue and enforce licences by which participation in the GB energy sector is required. Attached to these licences are various industry and best practice codes to ensure all users get the best deal. Ofgem's principal statutory objective is to protect the interest of consumers, including small businesses. As such, GB customers are well protected by the current regulatory regime. There is also the statutory consumer body, Energywatch, which can investigate complaints on behalf of electricity and gas users.

Farepak

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been collected in fees by the Farepak administrator; at what hourly rate fees are charged for a  (a) partner and  (b) (i) senior and (ii) junior members of staff; how much revenue has been generated through telephone charges from creditors; what estimate he has made of the final fees of the administrator; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The administrators have not yet charged their fees to this case and the legislation does not require any account to be prepared until after they have been in office for six months. However details of the administrators' charge-out rates are likely to be included in the report to creditors which will be issued in January.
	Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor I are in a position to estimate the amount of fees that may become payable in this case.
	In most cases, the general body of creditors determine whether the remuneration should be based on a percentage of the value of assets dealt with by the administrators or their time costs. It is possible for the court to reduce the amount of remuneration where creditors claim that it is excessive.
	With regard to cost of telephone inquiries, the administrators had to set up a specific call centre to deal with the large volume of inquiries about this case. I am advised that the cost of the calls is purely to cover the costs of the call centre and will not result in any "profit" accruing to the administrators.

Farepak

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to announce who is heading his Department's inquiry into Farepak.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 4 December 2006
	The investigation into Farepak is being carried out under section 447 of the Companies Act 1985 by officers of the Department's Companies Investigations Branch. Unlike the appointment of inspectors, it is not the practice to disclose the names of investigators carrying out these enquiries.
	The Government established Consumer Directto offer practical advice for consumers. 350,000 consumers have had access to advice in this year alone, with estimated total benefits to consumers worth£135 million.

Furniture

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding his Department provided to support the furniture industry in each year since 1990; and how many staff in his Department worked to support the furniture industry in each year.

Margaret Hodge: The Department has provided funding to support the furniture sector as follows:
	
		
			   Support  Amount of support (£) 
			 1990-91 Regional Selective Assistance 1,823,000 
			
			 1991-92 Regional Selective Assistance 1,266,000 
			
			 1992-93 Regional Selective Assistance 1,088,000 
			
			 1993-94 Regional Selective Assistance 3,676,000 
			
			 1994-95 Regional Selective Assistance 1,940,000 
			
			 1995-96 Regional Selective Assistance 4,404,000 
			
			 1996-97 Regional Selective Assistance 1,660,000 
			
			 1997-98 Regional Selective Assistance 1,579,000 
			  TFSS—Exhibitions and Seminars 2,251,422 
			
			 1998-99 TFSS—Exhibitions and Seminars 2,414,130 
			  Regional Selective Assistance 2,174,000 
			
			 1999-2000 SESA—Exhibitions, Seminars 715,077 
			  Regional Selective Assistance 1,452,000 
			
			 2000-01 SESA—Exhibitions, Seminars 799,127 
			  Regional Selective Assistance 1,652,000 
			
			 2001-02 SESA—Exhibitions, Seminars 768,206 
			  Regional Selective Assistance 825,000 
			  Competitiveness Study 6,935 
			
			 2002-03 SESA—Exhibitions, Seminars 693,904 
			  Regional Selective Assistance 870,000 
			  Competitiveness Study 89,016 
			
			 2003-04 SESA—Exhibitions, Seminars 812,775 
			  UK First Industry Forum 131,346 
			  Regional Selective Assistance 1,700,000 
			
			 2004-05 SESA—Exhibitions, Seminars, Missions 907,773 
			  UK First Industry Forum 327,347 
			  Sector Partnership Funding 45,000 
			  Regional Selective Assistance 470,000 
			  Selective Finance for Industry, England 340,000 
			
			 2005-06 SESA—Exhibitions, Seminars, Missions 666,501 
			  UK First Industry Forum 501,727 
			  Selective Finance for Industry, England 414,000 
			
			 2006-07 TAP—Exhibitions only 211,746 
			  UK First Industry Forum 133,725 
			  Technology Programme 35,000 
			  Notes: 1. Figures Trade and Seminar support not available before 1997 and for competitiveness before 2001. 2. Excludes business support funding from business links which are not available by sector. 3. Excludes RSA and SfIE support on soft furnishings or plastic furniture as the SIC code that covers them also covers a range of non furniture goods. 
		
	
	As part of the household goods, furnishings and furniture sector, the furniture industry has also benefited financially from Sectors Group within UK Trade and Investment as follows:
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			 2003-04 54,387 
			 2004-05 198,851 
			 2005-06 128,763 
			 2006-07 30,000 
		
	
	A range of staff across the Department have worked to support the UK furniture industry, on issues such as productivity, exporting, standards, fair competition and research and development. It is not possible to isolate their work for the furniture sector from their other duties.

Furniture

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have had with each of the regional development agencies on the promotion of the furniture manufacturing industry in each of the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: The information is as follows.
	 (a) In January 2005, my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, South (formerly Minister for Construction, Small Business and Enterprise) gave a short presentation on behalf of DTI/UKTI at the Birmingham furniture show. The audience included representatives from Advantage West Midlands, overseas buyers of furniture and representatives from the UK furniture industry.
	 (b) During the period 2003 to 2005, UK Trade and Investment officials met with representatives from a selection of RDAs. Specific meetings were held with Advantage West Midlands, East Midlands Development Agency and One North East. These meetings were to discuss how the then consumer goods team, within UKTI, could add value to the RDAs international agenda for consumer goods. The furniture industry was only one of the elements discussed. Officials from DTI also met Advantage West Midlands in 2004 to discuss the Birmingham furniture show and other issues.

Furniture

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give priority status to the furniture industry; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: A range of staff across the Department work on issues which affect the UK furniture industry. We support them appropriately within the resources available to us.

Furniture

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the implications for the furniture industry of the trend for smaller houses and flats; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: No such assessment has been made by the Department. The furniture industry is fully capable of assessing what the impact of any trend for smaller houses will be on the sector and how it should respond.

Gershon Review

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much inefficiency savings has been made in his Department and its associated public bodies as a result of the Gershon Review; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: At the end of the second quarterof year two of the Department's efficiencyprogramme, the data available indicated an overall position of £304.60 million cashable and non-cashable savings against a quarter two year two target of £183.59 million. Of the £304.60 million savings reported (in line with Office of Government Commerce data classification requirements) £120.39 million classified as Final and £138.91 million as Interim. £45.30 million of savings were classified as Preliminary.
	Savings classified as Preliminary or Interim require additional data (to confirm them as Gershon review efficiencies), which may mean that some savings need to be revised in due course with the aim of reaching a "Final" position in most work streams in the coming year.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many residents of Nottingham, South have been represented by the Union of Democratic Mineworkers and its solicitors in respect of vibration white finger and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Malcolm Wicks: The following table details how many chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and vibration white finger (VWF) claims are currently registered with the UDM and its Solicitors in the Nottingham, South constituency.
	
		
			  Solicitor  COPD claims registered  VWF claims registered 
			 Ashton Morton Slack (UDM) 56 51 
			 Beresfords (UDM) 76 85 
			 Hopkins (UDM) 5 0 
			 Lloyd Green (UDM) 0 0 
			 Moss (UDM) 46 45 
			 UDM 195 108 
			 Vendside 4 0

Industrial Diseases: Solicitors

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims have been submitted for  (a) vibration white finger and  (b) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by (i) UDM/Vendside, (ii) Beresfords Solicitors, (iii) Moss Solicitors, (iv) Wake Smith Solicitors, (v) BRM Solicitors and (vi) AMS Law, broken down by constituency.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 5 December 2006
	A spreadsheet of COPD and VWF claims registered by the UDM, Vendside, Beresfords Solicitors, Moss Solicitors, Wake Smith Solicitors, BRM Solicitors and AMS Law, broken down by constituency, has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Internet

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government plan to change the consumers' rights to request the relevant Migration Authorisation Code in the event of unsatisfactory service by an internet service provider.

Margaret Hodge: The matter raised is the responsibility of the Regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Maternity Leave

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) reviewed on the effect of maternity leave on firms.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has commissioned a number of surveys that may be used to estimate the effect of maternity leave on firms. The most recent surveys have been the Maternity and Paternity Rights and Benefits—Survey of Parents 2005; Second Work-Life Balance Study: Survey of Employees; and Second Work-Life Balance Study: Survey of Employers. Findings for each survey are published in the Department's Employment Relations Research Series and are available on the DTI website.
	The Department will soon be commissioning the Third Work-Life Balance/Maternity and Paternity Rights: Survey of Employers and the Department for Work and Pensions will soon be commissioning the Maternity Rights and Women Returners Survey.
	The Department continually reviews research on the effect of maternity leave on firms, including research undertaken by the Equal Opportunities Commission; by UK universities; and by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Miners' Compensation

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many colliery surface workers have  (a) claimed and  (b) received a payment for pneumoconiosis under the 1974 Coal Industry Pneumoconiosis Scheme since it was introduced, broken down by (i) area and (ii) date on which the claim was made.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 7 December 2006
	The Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis Scheme does not differentiate between colliery surface workers and underground workers.
	As such it is not possible to provide data referring specifically to surface workers.

Nuclear Forum

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what  (a) matters were discussed and  (b) decisions were taken at the Franco-British Nuclear Forum on 29 November; if he will (i) post on his Department's website and (ii) place in the Library copies of documents discussed in the forum; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Details of matters discussed can be found on the Department's website:
	http://www.dti.gov.uk.
	Given that discussions were driven by speeches and presentations there are no documents to be published, although a detailed note of the day's discussions, including decisions taken on future work streams, will be posted on the website.

Nuclear Power Stations

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what procedures are in place for informing the Health and Safety Commission about potential risks resulting from  (a) maintenance failures and  (b) disrepair at UK nuclear power stations.

Malcolm Wicks: The Health and Safety Commission and Executive are responsible for regulating the safety of the UK's nuclear power stations. These may only be built and operated following the granting of a Nuclear Site Licence by the Health and Safety Executive, to which it attaches standard conditions for the management of nuclear safety. The licensee is responsible for complying with these conditions and ensuring that risks to workers and the public from its operations are reduced so far as is reasonably practicable.
	The licence conditions require the licensee to maintain safety significant plant in good condition and take appropriate action in response to any findings from maintenance or inspection of plant that indicate safe operation might be affected. This includes recording, investigating and reporting the findings. The more safety significant findings must be reported to the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, which investigates them and carries out its own independent inspections and assessments of plant operation and condition. The Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations periodically reports upon nuclear safety issues to the Health and Safety Commission and its Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee (NuSAC).

Paternity Pay

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost of statutory paternity pay was in each year since 2003-04; and if he will estimate the cost in each year from 2006-07 to 2009-10.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The 2002 Statutory Paternity Pay Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) estimated the annual amount of statutory paternity pay reclaimable from the Exchequer at around £57 million. This assumed 70 per cent. of the total number eligible to receive statutory paid paternity leave would take it up.
	The Maternity and Paternity Rights and Benefits Survey 2005 found around 80 per cent. of the 415,000 eligible fathers surveyed had used at least some of their statutory entitlement, suggesting a higher take-up rate than estimated in the RIA. Although the take-up has been higher than originally estimated, not all fathers take their full entitlement to two weeks paid paternity leave. Therefore we anticipate that the costs of statutory paternity pay are around the level presented in the RIA.

Radio Spectrum Harmonisation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which  (a) military and  (b) other devices are affected by Commission Decision 2006/771/EC, OJL312 of 11 November 2006, on harmonisation of the radio spectrum for use by short-range devices; whether a permit system will follow; what representations he has received from the toy industry on this decision; what the role was of his Department in reaching this decision; what opportunities for auctioning band width will follow; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The matter raised is the responsibility of the Regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Recruitment

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much his Department spent on recruitment advertising in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: When running recruitment campaigns, we will look to use the media most likely to attract people with the necessary skills. Across the civil service, a range of media are used from local newspapers, specialist magazines e.g. The Economist or People Management; the internet, to the more general public sector sections of the national newspaper job advertising.
	The line management units generally meet recruitment costs from their own delegated budgets and there are no centrally held records for advertising costs.

Recycling Industries

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what support his Department offers to British industries dealing in recycled materials.

Malcolm Wicks: The DTI does not provide direct support specifically targeted at industries dealing in recycled materials. However, the DTI does support such businesses through a range of general support mechanisms and is actively encouraging greater levels of resource and waste efficiency, in conjunction with Defra and HM Treasury, through the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste programme.
	In addition, the DTI is working closely with the industry via the National Resource and Waste Forum to help build cross-sectoral solutions and to promote sustainable resource and waste management.

Renewable Energy: Research

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much his Department has spent on research on  (a) nuclear energy,  (b) clean coal technology,  (c) solar power,  (d) wind power,  (e) hydro-electric power,  (f) marine renewable energy and  (g) energy from biomass in the last five years.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department of Trade and Industry, through the Technology Programme, and the Research Councils' expenditure in support of research and related training is given in the following table.
	In addition, the Research Councils (RCs) are providing funding of £13.88 million over the period 2004-09 for the UK Energy Research Centre (which undertakes a range of research relating to sustainable energy) and energy is included in the work of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research (which has some £15.8 million funding from the Research Councils over 2000-08).
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Technology  Funding body  Funding for 2001-02  Funding for 2002-03  Funding for 2003-04  Funding for 2004-05  Funding for 2005-06 
			 Nuclear fission DTI(1) 2.00 2.10 2.10 2.20 2.30 
			  RCs 0.33 0.31 0.21 0.11 0.95 
			 Nuclear fusion DTI 14.40 14.80 0 0 0 
			  RCs(2) 0 0 15.90 22.70 20.60 
			 Clean coal DTI 4.40 3.00 5.00 (3)6.50 (4)— 
			  RCs(5) 1.12 1.35 1.25 1.83 1.93 
			 Solar PV DTI 1.50 4.50 3.10 2.00 (4)— 
			  RCs 3.54 2.77 2.38 2.68 2.53 
			 Wind power DTI 1.20 1.40 1.40 1.50 (4)— 
			  RCs 0.33 0.49 0.48 0.24 0.13 
			 Hydro DTI 0.10 0.20 0.10 0 (4)— 
			  RCs(6) — — — — — 
			 Marine DTI 1.00 2.70 5.00 1.30 (4)— 
			  RCs 0.61 0.62 0.83 1.00 1.03 
			 Biomass DTI 1.30 1.60 3.20 1.00 (4)— 
			  RCs(7) 0.75 0.93 1.18 1.25 2.02 
			 (1) Expenditure is to assist emergency support arrangements provided by the Met Office in the event of a nuclear release into the atmosphere, and includes a contribution towards the cost of the underpinning meteorological modelling capability. This funding is not provided through the Technology Programme. (2) Responsibility for funding fusion transferred from DTI to EPSRC in April 2003. (3) Estimated figure. (4) Final figures for DTI spend in 2005-06 are not available at this time. (5) Expenditure by Research Councils on conventional energy including clean coal technologies, but excluding carbon capture and storage. (6) Very low level of expenditure cannot be established definitively at this time. (7) Includes Research Council expenditure on biofuels.

Renewables Obligation Order 2007

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will revise the terms of reference of the statutory consultation on the Renewables Obligation Order 2007 to take account of the Forestry Commission's most recent figures on the peak value of softwood availability; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today PQ No. 107365.

Retirement Age

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his answer of 27 November 2006,  Official Report, column 386W, on retirement age, which  (a) aspects,  (b) sections and  (c) findings of his Department's economic impact assessment he took account of when formulating the policy.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to my answer given on 27 November 2006,  Official Report, column 386W. We considered all aspects of our regulatory impact assessments in formulating our policy on retirement age.

Softwood

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will meet representatives from the wood panel industry to discuss the lower forecasts of softwood availability.

Malcolm Wicks: Officials are meeting with the wood panel industry to discuss the Renewables Obligation (RO). A consultation on changes to the RO began on9 October 2006 and will close on 5 January 2007. The Government will consider the Forestry Commission's report "United Kingdom: New Forecast of Softwood Availability" as part of the consultation on the RO. The consultation is available through the following link:
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/consultations/page34162.html

Solar Power Plants

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment his Department has made of the feasibility of using overseas-based concentrated solar power plants to help the UK to meet its long-term energy requirements.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government have not made any assessment into using overseas-based concentrated solar power plants to help the UK meet its long-term energy requirements. However, the economics, in particular the amounts of energy required, to justify the investment in the High Voltage Direct Current link required needs more work. There would need to be a massive source of surplus electricity to make this worthwhile and considerable investment.

Television Sets: Disposal

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive on disposal of pre-digital television sets; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The implementation of the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive is not expected to have a significant impact on disposal of pre-digital television sets, as these have been subject to the requirements of the Hazardous Waste Regulations since July 2005.

Television Sets: Disposal

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the unit cost is of disposal of a current model standard television set.

Malcolm Wicks: Industry estimates are that it costs around £3 to £5 per unit to treat a standard television set.

Television Sets: Disposal

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his most recent estimate is of the number of standard television sets which will become redundant following the national changeover to digital.

Margaret Hodge: Digital switchover does not require disposal of any equipment, as an existing analogue television can normally be upgraded by adding a digital set-top box. However, as the Government's "Regulatory and Environmental Impact Assessment on the timing of digital switchover" (September 2005) acknowledges, there may be a temporary acceleration in the disposal of some secondary television sets that people choose not to adapt after switchover in each region. In light of this, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs jointly commissioned the Market Transformation Programme to establish and quantify any changes in patterns of disposal of consumer equipment, including televisions, due to digital switchover. The results from this research should be available in early 2007.

Tobacco

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions about reduced ignition propensity cigarettes officials in his Department have had with representatives of the Tobacco Manufacturers Association.

Ian McCartney: Following the Government's written ministerial statement on Reduced Ignition Propensity Cigarettes on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 67W5, the Tobacco Manufacturers Association arranged a presentation for officials from the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Health on 5 October, setting out their concerns regarding the introduction of reduced ignition propensity of cigarettes and a possible European technical standard.

UK Trade and Investment

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many commercial officers were allocated to UK Trade and Investment in  (a) China,  (b) Vietnam,  (c) India,  (d) Saudi Arabia,  (e) Malaysia,  (f) Russia,  (g) Brazil and  (h) the Gulf States in each of the last three years; and how many will be allocated to each office in each of the next three years.

Ian McCartney: Under current plans, the allocation of UKTI staff across these markets for the last three years and next three years is as set out in the following table. UKTI will continue to review how it can best deliver against its objectives across the network, including in the markets listed in the following table:
	
		
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 China 87.74 94.63 98.75 106.05 113 113 
			 Vietnam 11.71 11.43 11.45 10.70 12.75 12.75 
			 India 81.26 76.12 76.34 80.34 91.34 91.34 
			 Saudi Arabia 21.08 20.86 13.9 15.9 15.9 15.9 
			 Malaysia 20.8 20.71 18.18 18.18 18.18 18.18 
			 Russia 17.19 17.92 16 20 26.5 26.5 
			 Brazil 51.11 39.13 39 42 45 45 
			 Gulf States 46.94 46.36 41.32 45.49 43.29 43.29

UK Trade and Investment

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many commercial officers serve in each branch of UK Trade and Investment in  (a) the European Union and  (b) the United States of America; and what percentage change is expected in these offices in the next (i) 18 months and (ii) 36 months.

Ian McCartney: Expressed as Full-Time Equivalents (FTE), there are current 342.7 staff engaged in trade and investment work in the European Union (288.35 on trade development and 54.35 on inward investment work). In the USA, where UKTI has a fully integrated trade and inward investment network, there are129 staff engaged on UKTI work.
	In order to deploy increased UKTI resources in the emerging markets as required in UKTI's strategy "prosperity in a Changing World", published in July 2006, UKTI's resources in the EU and USA in the period through to 2008 will reduce by 9.5 per cent. and 13 per cent. respectively. It is not possible to predict how resources will change over 36 months.
	The UK's traditional markets are changing and UKTI's strategy, based on extensive consultation, is adopting a new approach in such countries. For example, a "hub and spoke" arrangement is being introduced in some parts of the overseas network, to provide a more cost-effective and integrated service to British business. In the USA, resources will be better focused on the US states which offer real export or inward investment opportunities for the UK. Although there have been reductions in some parts of the US network, we are strengthening UKTI's teams in California and Florida, to reflect their importance for British business.

Unions 21

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether public money has been given to Unions 21 since 1999.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A total of £19,995 has been paid to Unions 21 since 1999.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Buxton Memorial Fountain

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to renovate the Buxton Memorial Fountain in Victoria Tower Gardens.

David Lammy: Work to renovate the Buxton Memorial Fountain in Victoria Tower Gardens began in September this year and is expected to be completed in March 2007.

Departmental Energy Policy

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to make her Department carbon neutral.

David Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2012. To fulfil this commitment we have developed an energy strategy supported by a detailed action plan. We are making full use of the refurbishment of our headquarters at Cockspur Street to reduce our carbon emissions. For example we are using light fittings that are 30-60 per cent. more efficient than the current fittings. The Department is supplied by 100 per cent. renewable energy supplied under the OGC Buying Solutions Energy Contract.
	DCMS is working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Office for Climate Change to ensure that we offset any carbon emissions which we cannot reduce. We have devised a scheme to assist and advise our sponsored bodies to offset their emissions which we hope to launch early next year.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many value for money exercises on the use of  (a) management consultants and  (b) professional advisers were conducted by her Department in each of the last five years for which information is available; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: Whilst value for money underpinsthe Department's project methodology, it has not conducted any specific value for money exercises on the use and employment of consultants and advisers in the last five years.

Departmental Studies

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which studies have been commissioned by her Department from  (a) external agencies,  (b) companies,  (c) academics and  (d) individuals in 2006.

David Lammy: Studies commissioned by DCMS in 2006 are as follows:
	 Academics
	Measuring elasticity of tourism demand
	Casino impacts scoping study
	Evaluating the benefits of the 7th July assistance centre
	Independent technical review on sport and leisure facility equity indicators
	Sport's contribution to achieving wider social benefits
	 Companies
	A literature review and survey of statistical sources on remote gambling
	Economic impact of DCMS cultural investment
	Creative industries analysis
	Live music impact study
	BBC charter review research
	Review of evidence base for delivering SP2/PSA3
	Assess local authority delivery against national standards
	Licensing Act 2003: the experience of smaller establishments in applying for live music authorisation
	Willingness to pay for work to inform licence fee setting
	Assessing the readiness of social housing sector for digital switchover
	Assessing the impact of 2005 Gambling Act on internet gambling
	Creative industry promotion—an international perspective
	International dimension of the creative economy
	Exploring creative industry spillovers
	Governance of non-departmental public bodies
	Knowledge economy
	Scoping links between the creative industry and the rest of the economy
	Museums indicators revisions
	Heritage protection review assessment of eight pilot projects
	Peer review of English Heritage
	Public value research
	Literature review (sponsored jointly with the Cabinet Office)
	KPMG's advice on costs of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games
	Valuation of the horserace totalisator board

Digital Switchover

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of households in  (a) Orkney and Shetland,  (b) the Highlands and Islands and  (c) Scotland which will not be able to access digital terrestrial television after digital switchover.

Shaun Woodward: Ofcom are currently researching reception prospects across the UK at switchover. At this time coverage of digital terrestrial television will be increased to substantially match the 98.5 per cent. households that currently receive analogue services.

IT Projects

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many information technology projects within the responsibility of her Department, its agencies and their predecessors have been cancelled since 1997; what the total cost was of each project at cancellation; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: My Department has not cancelled any information technology projects since 1997.

Local Government

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many targets her Department sets for local authorities; and what they are.

David Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not impose targets on local authorities.

National Lottery

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library copies of the applications for membership of each lottery board of each of their members.

Tessa Jowell: One of the fundamental principlesof the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) is openness and transparency. The OCPA Code states that information relating to the appointments process and its workings should be transparent, and information should be provided about appointments made, but it also protects the rightof individuals' privacy in relation to personal information. It would not therefore be appropriate to place copies of application forms in the Libraries of the House.

Official Cars

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many cars run by her Department were manufactured  (a) in the UK and  (b) abroad.

David Lammy: DCMS runs five cars and these are all operated by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.
	Information on cars operated by the Government Car and Despatch Agency is available on page 14 of its annual report and accounts 2005-06, copies of which are available in the Library for the reference of Members.

Olympic Games

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to use Lilleshall National Sports Academy in Shropshire as a regional training facility for the 2012 Olympics.

Richard Caborn: The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) will produce a Pre Games Training Camp Guide which provides the National Olympic Committees (NOC) and National Paralympic Committees (NOP) with details of facilities across the UK which they could use for pre Games training. All facilities across the UK, including Lilleshall National Sports Academy, are invited to apply for inclusion within this Guide. Details of how to apply can be found at:
	www.london2012.com/trainingcamps
	Applications will initially be assessed locally with selection co-ordinated by the Nations and Regions Group Co-ordinator. A proposed list of facilities will then be submitted to LOCOG for final selection. The guide will be distributed to NOCs and NPCs inJuly 2008.

Retirement Age

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer from the Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office to the hon. Member for Blackpool, South of 4 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 189-90W, on the retirement age, what her Department's policy is for the setting of retirement ages for staff below the senior civil service under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992.

David Lammy: In the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the retirement policy as delegated under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992 is a normal retirement age of 65, effective from 1 October 2006, for all permanent staff below the Senior Civil Service. This is in line with the Employment Equality (Age) Regulation 2006 default retirement age.

Sevso Treasure

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what research she has conducted into the provenance of the Sevso Roman treasure.

David Lammy: My Department has conducted no research into the provenance of the Sevso Roman treasure.

Sevso Treasure

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has held with the custodian of the Sevso Roman treasure; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: My Department has held no discussions with the custodian of the Sevso Roman treasure.

Sevso Treasure

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department has conducted research into the legal ownership of the Sevso Roman treasure.

David Lammy: My Department has conducted no research into the legal ownership of the Sevso Roman treasure.

Statistics

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department spent on statistics relating to the work of her Department in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: There is no definition of the term "statistics relating to the work of the Department" and no centrally held information on either the volume or costs of statistics published each year on this basis.
	Estimates for the annual costs of National Statistics are contained in the relevant National Statistics annual report and accounts, which are available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=1051.
	Copies are also available in the Library for the reference of Members. The last year these were produced was 2004-05.

The Tote

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to be able to make a definitive statement on the future of the Tote.

Richard Caborn: I expect to be able to announce soon how the Government intend to proceed with their objectives of removing the Tote from public ownership, promoting horserace pool betting and benefit racing.

TV and Radio Energy Consumption

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the average energy consumption per annum of an  (a) (i) digital and (ii) analogue television and  (b) (A) digital and (B) analogue radio; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have analysed the performances of over 630 televisions sold in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and has concluded that the difference in energy consumption between analogue and integrated digital televisions is negligible.
	The annual energy consumption of a television varies significantly with screen size and television type, and defining what constitutes a 'typical' television is difficult. However, for a 32 in widescreen cathode-ray television, the estimates are that the annual consumption will be 292 kWh, and 310 kWh for a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen of the same size. A 42 in (a typical size for this technology) plasma TV will consume 746 kWh per year.
	The total energy consumption of all UK televisions has risen in recent years. However this is not a result of the development of integrated digital tuners but a function of increased TV ownership, the trend towards larger screen sizes, and the migration away from cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions to other technologies.
	In many cases the use of an integrated digital tuner will negate the need to purchase a separate set-top digital TV adapter at digital switchover. The average consumption of a typical terrestrial set-top adapter is 60 kWh per year. Public communications about digital television switchover reinforce this point by advising consumers to purchase digital, rather than analogue, if they are upgrading a television.
	We do not currently have sufficient information to provide a comparison between the performance of analogue and digital (DAB) radios. However, we have identified that many portable DAB radios are supplied with external power supply units which are less efficient—and therefore consume more energy—than those sold with comparable analogue products. We will work with retailers and manufacturers to seek to address this issue. As these are relatively new products, there are likely to be efficiency gains as the products mature.

Victims of Terrorism

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what the criteria will be for determining the  (a) definition of a terrorism incident and  (b) eligibility for funds in relation to the new charitable fund to help the British victims of terrorism;
	(2)  what proportion of the budget of the new charitable fund to help the British victims of terrorism will be available to British victims of terrorism overseas; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  when she expects the details of the charitable fund to help the British victims of terrorism to be finalised; and when the fund will begin operation;
	(4)  how much Government funding will be available for the new charitable fund to help British victims of terrorism; and if she will make a statement.

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the reason is for the time taken to announce details of the charitable fund to help British citizens affected by terrorism abroad that was announced in the March 2006 Budget.

Shaun Woodward: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State continues to work with the voluntary sector and victims groups to finalise details of exactly how the charitable fund will operate and she hopes to make an announcement in the coming months.
	While the details are being finalised, interim arrangements have been put in place.
	Immediate financial assistance from the £1 million we assigned to the fund has been paid to UK families bereaved and most seriously injured by those attacks since March 2006, that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has classified as terrorist acts.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alexander Litvinenko

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what considerations were taken into account in granting political asylum to the late Alexander Litvinenko; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: It is not our practice to comment on individual cases.

Arrests

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested and subsequently not cautioned or charged with any offence in each police authority area in each of the last five years, broken down by ethnicity.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 4 December 2006
	Numbers of arrests and cautions by police force area and ethnicity have been published in associationwith successive annual editions of the section 95 publication, "Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System", and are available on the Home Office website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/section951.html, along with a table of the percentage of arrests which lead to a caution (tables 5.1, 5.6 and 5.7). Recently revised tables for arrests and the percentage of arrests which lead to a caution for 2003-04 are given in the table.
	Also included in the publication are available data for prosecutions by ethnicity in magistrates courtsfor the period requested (table 6.1), and available data for the total number tried in Crown courts by ethnicity, for 2003 (table 6.4) and 2004 (table 6.3). available data for the total number tried in Crown Courts by ethnicity, for 2003 (table 6.4) and 2004 (table 6.3).
	
		
			  Table 5.1: Total arrests for Notifiable Offences, 2003-04( 1) 
			   Ethnic appearance of person arrested  
			  Police force area  White  Black  Asian  Other  Unknown  Total 
			 Avon and Somerset 22,011 1,326 332 177 418 24,264 
			 Bedfordshire 10,234 2,268 1,750 81 46 14,379 
			 Cambridgeshire 10,826 624 467 232 176 12,325 
			 Cheshire 13,260 212 98 37 28 13,635 
			 Cleveland 20,370 232 638 144 84 21,468 
			 Cumbria 12,632 38 79 75 8 12,832 
			 Derbyshire 20,419 892 848 92 126 22,377 
			 Devon and Cornwall 27,917 340 182 157 234 28,830 
			 Dorset 11,840 358 102 141 31 12,472 
			 Durham 17,214 97 71 96 164 17,642 
			 Essex 26,326 1,693 515 1,088 291 29,913 
			 Gloucestershire 10,557 543 119 77 213 11,509 
			 Greater Manchester 69,517 4,831 5,046 569 2,633 82,596 
			 Hampshire 40,001 1,499 960 1,296 — 43,756 
			 Hertfordshire 15,358 1,706 988 236 95 18,383 
			 Humberside 24,449 474 362 271 214 25,770 
			 Kent 33,010 1,371 1,307 140 1,026 36,854 
			 Lancashire 42,265 772 1,959 63 2 45,061 
			 Leicestershire 14,961 1,536 2,089 447 1 19,034 
			 Lincolnshire 16,050 201 216 238 82 16,787 
			 London, City of 2,471 1,133 511 151 — 4,266 
			 Merseyside 47,213 1,652 231 268 541 49,905 
			 Metropolitan Police 102,057 58,985 17,010 6,562 640 185,254 
			 Norfolk 14,540 486 134 77 28 15,265 
			 Northamptonshire 11,278 998 316 50 1 12,643 
			 Northumbria 52,278 597 840 285 50 54,050 
			 North Yorkshire 13,966 137 98 137 183 14,521 
			 Nottinghamshire 28,589 2,125 947 1,245 683 33,589 
			 South Yorkshire 32,709 1,892 1,356 420 1 36,378 
			 Staffordshire 23,794 766 845 235 — 25,640 
			 Suffolk 11,631 816 152 106 50 12,755 
			 Surrey 14,998 727 691 176 83 16,675 
			 Sussex 30,785 1,810 750 457 144 33,946 
			 Thames Valley 40,601 4,943 3,466 468 182 49,660 
			 Warwickshire 7,680 329 265 41 72 8,387 
			 West Mercia 20,640 612 518 149 114 22,033 
			 West Midlands 52,514 10,401 8,456 1,483 108 72,962 
			 West Yorkshire 61,164 5,029 7,469 578 215 74,455 
			 Wiltshire 8,231 369 139 61 373 9,173 
			 Dyfed Powys 13,227 69 50 31 30 13,407 
			 Gwent 14,611 205 370 133 172 15,491 
			 North Wales 19,373 100 80 49 236 19,838 
			 South Wales 33,674 1,154 654 412 257 36,151 
			 England and Wales 1,117,241 116,348 63,476 19,231 10,035 1,326,331 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 5.7: Percentage of arrests which resulted in a Caution for Notifiable Offences, 2003-04( 1) 
			   Ethnic appearance of person  
			  Police force area  White  Black  Asian  Total 
			 Avon and Somerset 13.4 7.1 19.6 17.9 
			 Bedfordshire 20.4 11.6 14.9 19.1 
			 Cambridgeshire 13.4 9.0 9.4 16.5 
			 Cheshire 20.1 1.4 10.2 19.7 
			 Cleveland 11.8 10.3 5.6 12.1 
			 Cumbria 15.5 18.4 6.3 16.4 
			 Derbyshire 11.5 10.3 9.4 11.8 
			 Devon and Cornwall 24.9 17.9 17.6 24.8 
			 Dorset 13.5 3.1 13.7 13.1 
			 Durham 13.6 4.1 2.8 13.4 
			 Essex 14.8 7.3 10.3 14.0 
			 Gloucestershire 23.3 12.0 20.2 22.5 
			 Greater Manchester 12.9 11.5 15.8 12.7 
			 Hampshire 16.8 9.5 5.7 16.3 
			 Hertfordshire 18.1 11.1 14.5 17.2 
			 Humberside 11.1 3.6 8.0 10.7 
			 Kent 19.5 7.6 8.3 20.8 
			 Lancashire 13.2 12.3 16.3 13.4 
			 Leicestershire 13.5 7.5 12.8 13.1 
			 Lincolnshire 11.5 6.0 6.0 11.4 
			 London, City of 24.3 16.2 19.4 21.5 
			 Merseyside 8.5 8.5 11.7 8.5 
			 Metropolitan Police 17.0 13.6 17.8 16.1 
			 Norfolk 15.3 5.8 20.1 15.2 
			 Northamptonshire 20.4 16.7 23.1 21.5 
			 Northumbria 23.5 17.4 31.0 23.7 
			 North Yorkshire 16.1 13.1 18.4 16.5 
			 Nottinghamshire 13.1 9.8 24.7 13.9 
			 South Yorkshire 9.9 4.9 8.2 10.2 
			 Staffordshire 20.8 15.5 4.7 20.8 
			 Suffolk 26.8 15.0 30.9 26.0 
			 Surrey 27.0 21.5 28.9 26.4 
			 Sussex 22.9 9.1 18.9 21.7 
			 Thames Valley 11.3 7.4 9.4 12.2 
			 Warwickshire 27.5 11.6 23.4 26.9 
			 West Mercia 26.4 15.8 18.0 26.4 
			 West Midlands 19.6 16.9 21.5 20.4 
			 West Yorkshire 13.7 13.3 14.7 13.8 
			 Wiltshire 22.6 17.6 25.2 23.2 
			 Dyfed Powys 31.9 14.5 42.0 32.1 
			 Gwent 22.2 13.2 8.9 21.8 
			 North Wales 15.4 20.0 16.3 15.3 
			 South Wales 13.4 10.4 13.6 13.3 
			 England and Wales 16.6 12.7 16.2 16.6 
			 (1) Revised figures.  Note: Comparisons based upon the 'Other' and 'Unknown' groups have been excluded due to the small numbers involved.

Asylum Seekers

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers were deported after having completed a community service order in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is notheld centrally by the immigration and nationality directorate and to provide it would involve an individual examination of case records at disproportionate cost.

Asylum Seekers

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which countries refuse to issue return travel documents to failed asylum seekers due for removal from the UK.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office does not disclose the immigration status of immigration offenders when applying for return travel documents to foreign Governments. I am therefore unable to indicate whether any countries might refuse to issue documents on these grounds.

Asylum Seekers

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers  (a) returned voluntarily and  (b) were returned forcibly between 1 January 2006 and 30 September 2006 to (i) Democratic Republic of Congo, (ii) Eritrea, (iii) Iran, (iv) Sudan and (v) Zimbabwe.

Liam Byrne: The following table shows the number of principal asylum applicants removed from the UK in the first three quarters of 2006, broken down by type of removal and destination.
	It is not possible to say at what stage in the asylum process people are at the time of their removal, because those departing voluntarily can do so at any stage.
	Published statistics on immigration and asylumare available on the Home Office's Research and Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	
		
			  Removals, voluntary departures and assisted returns( 1)  of asylum applicants( 2) , excluding dependants, nationals of Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea and Iran quarter 1 to quarter 3, 2006( 3,4) 
			  Number of principal applicants 
			  Nationality  Q12006  Q22006  Q3 2006  Q1-Q3 total 
			  Democratic Republic of Congo 
			 Total principal asylum applicants removed(2) 25 35 30 85 
			  Of whom: 
			 removed to Democratic Republic of Congo 15 20 20 50 
			 removed to other and destination unknown 10 15 10 35 
			  
			 Persons removed and voluntary departures(5,6) 15 20 25 60 
			  Of whom: 
			 removed to Democratic Republic of Congo 10 10 15 40 
			 removed to other and destination unknown 5 10 5 20 
			  
			 Persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes(7) 5 15 5 25 
			  Of whom: 
			 removed to Democratic Republic of Congo 5 10 * 15 
			 removed to other and destination unknown 5 5 5 10 
			  
			  Eritrea 
			 Total principal asylum applicants removed(2) 65 105 140 310 
			  Of whom: 
			 removed to Eritrea * — — * 
			 removed to other and destination unknown 65 105 140 310 
			  
			 Persons removed and voluntary departures(5,6) 65 105 135 310 
			  Of whom: 
			 removed to Eritrea * — — * 
			 removed to other and destination unknown 65 105 135 310 
			  
			 Persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes(7) — — * * 
			  Of whom: 
			 removed to Eritrea — — — — 
			 removed to other and destination unknown — — * * 
			  
			  Iran 
			 Total principal asylum applicants removed(2) 165 195 135 495 
			  Of whom: 
			 removed to Iran 95 115 85 295 
			 removed to other and destination unknown 75 80 50 200 
			  
			 Persons removed and voluntary departures(5,6) 75 65 75 210 
			  Of whom: 
			 removed to Iran 30 30 35 95 
			 removed to other and destination unknown 45 35 40 115 
			  
			 Persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes(7) 95 130 60 285 
			  Of whom: 
			 removed to Iran 65 85 50 200 
			 removed to other and destination unknown 30 45 10 85 
			 (1) Includes enforced removals, persons departing 'voluntarily' after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organization for Migration and those who it is established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities. (2) Figures rounded to the nearest five, with — = 0, * = one or two, and may not sum due to rounding. (3) Persons who had sought asylum at some stage, excluding dependants. (4) Provisional figures. (5) Includes persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them and those who it is established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities. (6) Excludes Assisted Voluntary Returns. (7 )Persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organization for Migration. May include some cases where enforcement action has been initiated.

Border Control

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many security staff are engaged in border control activities at regional airports in the West Midlands.

Liam Byrne: A total of 203 immigration and nationality directorate border control operational staff are currently deployed within the Midlands region to meet all services requiring immigration control. Operational staff comprise of assistant immigration officers, immigration officers, chief immigration officers and Her Majesty's inspectors. Staffing levels are constantly reviewed based on volume of traffic and risk assessments and the number of staff at any given location can change.

BrakeCare Bereavement Packs

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department what the reasons were for withdrawing funding for the BrakeCare bereavement pack in 2007; and what related services for road crash victims are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government are funding the BrakeCare guide for bereaved families and friends in 2006 and are actively considering possible future funding routes, including the victim's fund.
	The code of practice for victims of crime includes an obligation on the police to provide close relatives of a victim of road death with timely information about their case and an enhanced service. The core funding provided to victim support allows them to provide a witness service in all Crown and magistrates courts. If a road traffic incident involves a court case, the victim or their family can access this support. Other voluntary groups, including Brake, RoadPeace and the Campaign Against Drinking and Driving, also provide support and advice to serious road crash victims.

CCTV

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many CCTV cameras there are in each police authority area, broken down by those that are primarily used for the detection of  (a) criminal activity and  (b) motoring offences.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 4 December 2006
	The Home Office does not collect figures for the number of CCTV cameras in each police authority area.

Correspondence

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of Statefor the Home Department how many items of correspondence have been received by his Department since 5 May 2005; and what percentage of correspondence received in that period was answered within 15 days of receipt.

Liam Byrne: Between 5 May 2005 and 22 October 2006, the Home Office's correspondence tracking system shows that 120,219 items of correspondence were received. This number does not include letters or emails addressed to individuals by name, which are passed directly to the addressee for reply and are not recorded or managed on the central system. The number also excludes correspondence sent to the Identity and Passport Service since 1 April 2006; letters from members of the public to Immigration and Nationality Directorate and Her Majesty's Prison Service; or correspondence received as part of an organised campaign.
	The following table gives a breakdown of the totals received in each month, and for each area of the Department for which records are held. In thecurrent calendar year 92 per cent. of ministerial correspondence received in the Home Office, not including IND and agencies, has been replied to within 15 working days—up from 78 per cent. in 2005.In October 2006, 97 per cent. of ministerial correspondence received by this central Home Office was replied to within 15 days. In all other areas, where the target is 20 working days, performance over the specified period was 81 per cent. The percentage of all correspondence answered in 15 working days was61 per cent.
	
		
			  Month  Ministerial correspondence (central Home Office only—15 working day target)  Letters from members of the public (central Home Office only—20 working day target)  E-mails from members of the public (central Home Office only—20 working day target)  Ministerial correspondence (IND only—20 working day target)  Official replies to MPs (IND only—20 working day target)  Ministerial correspondence (Her Majesty's Prison Service—20 working day target)  Total 
			  2005
			 May 220 804 454 756 1,393 28 3,655 
			 June 1,047 1,597 940 1,526 2,802 38 7,950 
			 July 973 1,531 908 1,472 2,671 28 7,583 
			 August 726 1,494 919 1,288 2,309 37 6,773 
			 September 600 1,146 1,192 1,364 2,176 43 6,521 
			 October 779 1,216 1,378 1,314 2,267 40 6,994 
			 November 928 1,421 1,496 1,541 2,460 50 7,896 
			 December 843 999 1,003 1,223 1,903 58 6,029 
			 
			  2006
			 January 709 1,985 1,352 1,060 2,369 48 7,523 
			 February 799 1,639 1,484 1,141 2,386 60 7,509 
			 March 1,033 1,427 1,740 1,431 2,685 51 8,367 
			 April 653 962 1,187 1,090 2,056 42 5,990 
			 May 733 964 1,331 1,308 2,398 44 6,778 
			 June 724 1,254 1,227 1,413 2,436 40 7,094 
			 July 802 1,640 989 1,255 2,254 75 7,015 
			 August 601 1,145 1,013 942 2,036 41 5,778 
			 September 762 856 965 1,038 2,105 42 5,768 
			 October 918 727 896 778 1,623 54 4,996 
			 Total 13,850 22,807 20,474 21,940 40,329 819 120,219 
			 Replied to in 15 working days (percentage) 92 70 75 48 46 81 61 
			 Replied to in 20 working days (percentage) n/a 92 92 74 69 94 81

Departmental Electricity

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the electricity used by his Department was generated from  (a) renewable sources and  (b) on-site microgeneration facilities during the last period for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: In 2004-05, the latest year for which figures have been published, 17 per cent. of the electricity used by the Home Office including the publicly operated prisons was generated from renewable sources and approximately 0.03 per cent. from on-site microgeneration.

Departmental Estate

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department what plans he has for the development of Home Office land acquired from the Ministry of Defence on 'A' site at Arncott; and whether he plans to use emergency powers to develop the site.

Liam Byrne: The land at site A at Arncott remains under consideration as a potential location for a secure immigration removal centre. There are currently no plans to use emergency powers to develop the site.

Departmental Expenditure

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what payments his Department has made to security firms for protection services since 1997; for what purposes each payment was made; which 20 businesses have been paid the greatest amount for such services in that period; and what the amount was in each case.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 28 November 2006
	The Department does not hold central records of the payments that it has made to security firms for protection services since 1997, or of the 20 contractors that have been paid the greatest amount in that period. To obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost.
	Information on the total spend with contractors for the last two financial years and the current financial year to date is in the table.
	Ecovert FM Ltd is the Home Office headquarters private finance initiative contractor and provide a 24-hour, seven days a week security guarding service for 2 Marsham street via its sub-contractor First Security Group. The guarding costs are one element of the overall PFI bill and the figures in the table are estimated costs. Capita Business Services is the Criminal Records Bureau's public-private partnership contractor and provides a 24-hour, seven days a week security guarding service via their sub-contractor.
	The remaining contractors provide 24-hour, seven days a week security guarding services for other Home Office and executive agency buildings. Security guarding services include protection from damage or distress caused by accident, fire, terrorist or criminal activity, protection of people, the premises and property and control of access and egress.
	Physical security measures are provided to the Immigration and Nationality Directive estate and include the following elements: provision for intruder detection, closed circuit television, automatic access control and metal detection systems. These measures are provided by MOD Security Services Group and the annual cost for the last two years is £3 million per annum.
	
		
			  Total year spend 
			  £ 
			  Contractor  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Ecovert FM Ltd (First Security Group) — 1,500,000 (1)1,600,000 
			 Wackenhut 978,109 1,211,687 — 
			 ICTS UK 31,044 31,044 — 
			 Securicor 118,320 365,938 — 
			 Sabrewatch 92,088 155,663 — 
			 Chubb 201,348 807,808 — 
			 Capita Business Services 105,034 87,319 (2)67,821 
			 ISS Pegasus Security — 939,341 828,000 
			 OCS Guarding Ltd 1,299,915 1,566,178 — 
			 Group 4 Securicor — 112,560 (3)63,476 
			 Taylormade Investigations and Security Services Ltd — — 70,816 
			 Total 2,825,858 6,777,538 2,630,113 
			 (1) To November 2006 (2) To September 2006 (3) To October 2006

Departmental Funding

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conferences have been funded in whole or in part by his Department in the last 12 months; how many attendees there were at each; and what the cost of each conference was to his Department.

Liam Byrne: The amount spent on conference activity by the Home Office in 2005-06 was £10,594,000 including on: events associated with 7 July 2005 London bombings; engagement with the Muslim communities; "Tackling Drugs: Changing Lives"; the Bichard Review; the EU Presidency; new asylum model and rebalancing of sentencing. To gain the information about what conferences have been funded in whole or in part by his Department in the last 12 months and how many attendees there were at each could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many value for money exercises on the use of  (a) management consultants and  (b) professional advisers were conducted by his Department in each of the last five years for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Requirements for management consultants and professional advisers are subject to value for money reviews at the point of purchase. The commercial teams across the Home Department follow Office of Government Commerce best practice guidelines. Records are not held centrally. Information on the number of cases for each of the past five years is not available as the cost of collating would be disproportionate.

Departmental Staff

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what disciplinary action has taken place in his Department since his appointment; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: A full response to this question could be provided only at disproportionate cost, as disciplinary action is delegated across the Department to management levels.
	However, we are able to provide the following details of the number of centrally recorded penalties that have been applied to staff as a result of disciplinary action in the core Home Office and its agencies from 5 May 2006 up until 31 October 2006.
	Warnings—158
	Dismissals—48
	Penalties other than warnings and dismissals—22
	Other disciplinary action short of dismissal can include, when both parties agree (singularly or in combination) a ban on promotion, financial penalties, formal counselling, regrading and retraining, although this list is not exhaustive.

DHL

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department paid to DHL in each financial year between 1997-98 and 2005-06.

Liam Byrne: The payments that have been made to DHL in 2004-05 and 2005-06 are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 26,698.75 
			 2005-06 19,058.38 
		
	
	Robust information on payments to DHL prior to 2004-05 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

DNA Database

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the guidance issued by his Department on the release of information from the National DNA Database to overseas police authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ryan: The Home Office does not issue such guidance. Requests for the release of information from the National DNA Database to overseas police authorities are dealt with by the UK National Central Bureau for Interpol (UK NCB) based at the Serious Organised Crime Agency, which acts in accordance with its internal procedures. Requests are only processed where it is clear that they are in the interest of prevention and detection of crime, national security or the data subject (i.e. the individual who is the subject of the exchange request). They are also subject to a risk assessment, taking into account the justification and the proportionality of disclosure of the information in line with human rights legislation. If cleared for processing, a one-off search of the DNA database is made by the custodian and information fed back to UK NCB.

DNA Database

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many DNA profiles of UK citizens recorded on the national DNA database have been shared with overseas police authorities.

Joan Ryan: The National DNA Database records the names of those who have been arrested and had a DNA sample taken, and the force that arrested them, but not whether they are UK citizens.
	The mechanism for handling requests from overseas police authorities for information from the NDNAD is that those requests are sent to the UK National Central Bureau for Interpol (UK NCB), based at the Serious Organised Crime Agency, which considers whether the request is in the interest of prevention and detection of crime, national security or the data subject (i.e. the individual who is the subject of the exchange request). It also carries out a risk assessment, taking into account the justification and the proportionality of disclosure of the information in line with human rights legislation. If UK NCB clears the request, a one-off search of the DNA Database is made and information fed back to UK NCB.
	Before 2004, no central records were kept on requests from overseas authorities for data from the NDNAD as these were very rare. Between August 2004 and May 2006,121 profiles from the NDNAD were provided to UK NCB to supplement fingerprint information (i.e. fingerprints had been supplied to an overseas authority in relation to an individual residing in their country following which that authority made a further request for the individual's DNA profile).
	Also, during the financial years 2004-05 and 2005-06, 398 NDNAD search results were provided to UK NCB in response to requests from overseas authorities, either to see if there was anyone on the NDNAD who matched a DNA trace taken from the scene of a serious crime abroad, or to identify an unknown deceased person who may have been British. However, there is no central record of the number of cases in which these searches produced a result that led to a profile being sent to an overseas authority, and the number in which the search result was simply that there was no trace on the NDNAD.
	The benefits of the international exchange of DNA are illustrated by a case in 2000. Sixty Chinese immigrants were found in a Dutch-registered truck in the port of Dover, 58 of whom had suffocated to death.
	Following a complex Anglo-Dutch investigation, Perry Wacker, a Dutch lorry driver, and Ying Quo, of Essex, were sentenced to 14 and six years respectively at Maidstone Crown Court in 2001 for manslaughter and conspiracy to smuggle immigrants into the UK; another 10 individuals were convicted in the Netherlands. In both the UK and the Netherlands, exchanged DNA data was used as evidence in court and formed a key element in the case.

DNA Database

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of safeguards designed to prevent  (a) hacking and  (b) identity theft from the National DNA Database; and when these safeguards will next be reviewed.

Joan Ryan: The security policy developed by the custodian of the National DNA Database is to keep the threat of both hacking into and identity theft from the NDNAD under constant review. This includes independent security penetration testing carried out by specialists approved by the national information assurance authority. Such tests are carried out on a regular basis and have shown that the NDNAD systems provide a high level of protection against the threat of external attacks.

DNA Database

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people registered on the National DNA Database were subsequently  (a) convicted,  (b) charged but not convicted and  (c) not convicted in relation to the events leading to the DNA sample being taken, broken down by (i) gender, (ii) age group and (iii) ethnicity.

Joan Ryan: The National DNA Database (NDNAD) records the DNA profile for a particular individual. It does not hold data on arrest and criminal records. This information is held on the police national computer. The facilities do not exist to cross-refer between all records on the NDNAD and PNC to the level of detail that would be required to provide the information sought.
	However, we can say that information provided by the police information technology organisation from the PNC indicated that, as at 14 July 2006, when there were approximately 3,457,000 individuals on the database, 2,922,624 of these persons also had an entry on the PNC. Of these, 2,317,555 (79.3 per cent.) had a conviction or caution (i.e. a criminal record). The difference between the two figures is attributable to: young persons under 18 who have a formal warning or reprimand recorded on PNC; persons who have been charged with a recordable offence where proceedings are on-going; and persons who have been arrested for a recordable offence but against whom no further action was taken.

Family Support Projects

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which areas have established intensive family support projects for families at risk of eviction due to antisocial behaviour.

Tony McNulty: We are working with around 50 areas to establish a national network of family intervention projects, for which we will provide funding in 2006-07 and 2007-08. We expect to confirm the areas in which we have agreed to fund family intervention projects early in the new year.

Fingerprinting

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statutory provisions authorise the taking of roadside fingerprint tests.

Tony McNulty: Section 117 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 amended the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 to allow police officers the power to take fingerprints away from a police station, if need be without consent, following an offence and prior to an arrest.
	Section 117 of the 2005 Act has not yet been brought into force and its enactment will be dependent on the successful outcome of the current trial of hand-held mobile fingerprint readers.

Fingerprinting

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to whom fingerprint records obtained at roadside tests will be made available.

Tony McNulty: The Lantern device is a tool to aid officers in identifying individuals at the roadside and hence to assist them in deciding how to proceed. The fingerprints taken are searched against the national fingerprint collection (IDENT1) and a result is returned containing details of any matches. No fingerprint records are created and the fingerprints are not retained.

Fingerprinting

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what statutory provisions persons who refuse roadside fingerprint tests may be required to attend police stations for their identity to be verified.

Tony McNulty: Section 24 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, as amended by section 110 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, deals with all powers of arrest. Section 24(5) allows an officer to arrest, following an offence, if the name or address of the subject is not known, cannot be ascertained, or is believed to be false. The roadside fingerprint check may obviate the need for the officer to make an arrest.

Fingerprinting

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what protocols his Department is putting in place to ensure that fingerprints taken at roadside tests are permanently deleted from police computer systems.

Tony McNulty: The Lantern device has been configured to hold a maximum of 100 sets of fingerprints. This works on a rolling 100 basis so that if a 101st set of prints is taken then the first set would be deleted. In addition, officers have been provided with a button that allows then to delete all prints from the device and they are being trained to use that function at the start and end of their shift. Prints can also be deleted with the subject watching at the end of the encounter. The Lantern device is a tool to aid officers in identifying individuals at the roadside and hence to assist them in deciding how to proceed. Once the encounter has been concluded there is no reason to retain the prints further. No demographic data (i.e. name, date of birth etc.) is input into the Lantern device, so no purpose can be achieved by storing them. Fingerprints taken at the roadside can be deleted with the subject watching. In any event, the device database is purged at regular intervals during the operating day. Fingerprints obtained at the roadside, are not collected with any identifying demographic data, and therefore remain anonymous, so no purpose can be achieved by storing them.

Highly Skilled Migrant Programme

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in the UK who qualify to work under the highly skilled migrant programme scheme will fail to have their qualification renewed unless they find a job paying them more money.

Liam Byrne: Information of this kind is not available. In order to qualify for further leave to remain as a highly skilled migrant under the new rules, applicants must now meet robust points criteria based on their qualifications, previous earnings, age and UK experience. It will also be mandatory for applicants to demonstrate a good standard of English language. The salary that an applicant needs to reach for their previous earnings to qualify for a highly skilled migrant programme extension will depend on the points awarded against the other criteria.
	I have also announced transitional arrangements to avoid disadvantaging those who fail to meet the new requirements but are making a useful contribution to the UK. Those working in a skilled job, who do not meet the new criteria, will be allowed to switch into work-permit employment.

Identity Cards

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department into which Government fund fines generated from offences committed under the Identity Cards Act 2006 will be paid; and for what purposes those funds will be used.

Joan Ryan: Any receipts from fines imposed by courts for the criminal offences of possession of false identity documents, unauthorised disclosure of information, providing false information or tampering with the register, as set out in sections 25-30 of the Identity Cards Act 2006, will be disposed of in the same way as receipts from all other fines imposed by the criminal courts.
	Sums received by the Secretary of State in respect of civil financial penalties imposed under the Act will be paid into the cnsolidated fund, as specified in Section 31(7).

Illegal Fox Hunts

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to prevent illegal fox hunts.

Tony McNulty: Enforcement of the Hunting Act 2004 is a matter for the police and the prosecuting authorities. The police have made it clear that they will enforce the Hunting Act 2004 and the Association of Chief Police Officers has issued guidance for police forces on the practical aspects of doing so.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conferences have been hosted by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in the last 12 months; and what the cost was of each conference.

Liam Byrne: During the last 12 months, the IND has hosted the following conferences for external stakeholders (costs in brackets):
	e-borders—Six carriers liaison events (£28,000)
	NASS—Dispersal and Healthcare Needs Conference (£11,000)
	Social Policy Unit—Refugee Integration Forum Conference and six website launches (£110,000)
	Managed Migration—five stakeholder consultation events (£56,000)
	Three corporate stakeholder events (£22,000).
	These costs are inclusive of venue hire, delegate and audio visual costs but exclusive of staff costs. In addition to these conferences, the IND has held a number of internal staff events and consultation exercises that are not included in this list.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters the Immigration and Nationality Directorate received from hon. Members in each of the last 12 months; how many such letters were responded to  (a) within 10 days of receipt,  (b) within 20 days of receipt and  (c) after 20 days from the date of receipt; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Our target is to respond to 95 per cent. of hon. Members' letters on matters related to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate within 20 working days. Figures for the number of letters received are published quarterly on the MPs' area of the IND website. We intend to include figures for responses (and also for emails and telephone inquiries) when the current quarter's data are published on the website in early January.

Immigration and Passport Control

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last reviewed the  (a) number of staff and  (b) frequency of deployment of immigration and passport control staff at seaports and rail terminals in relation to airports; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 6 December 2006
	The review of Immigration and Nationality Directorate border control staffing is a continual process at airports, rail terminals and seaports. As part of our commitment to provide a secure border, staffing levels are constantly reviewed in line with risk assessments and business needs. Immigration coverage is based on a range of factors, including the nature and frequency of traffic and the numbers of passengers requiring leave to enter at each port. In addition, business targets and the associated bids to fund any additional posts are also taken into account when determining a port's staffing complement.
	Border control staff are deployed to meet all services requiring immigration control and on a risk-assessed basis. As part of our "tipping the balance" initiative we are increasing the use of intelligence-led mobile teams to provide greater coverage of the border. The provision of advance passenger information by carriers under the e-borders programme is increasing the border agencies' ability to conduct informed risk assessments and deploy resources in a targeted manner.

Institutional Arrest Warrants

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information the Serious Organised Crime Agency collects on institutional arrest warrants affecting UK citizens; and what responsibility the agency has to respond to inquiries from hon. Members.

Joan Ryan: holding answer 6 December 2006
	The Serious Organised Crime Agency receives European Arrest Warrants, some of which relate to UK citizens. SOCA is also in receipt of circulations via the Interpol channel that refer to UK citizens. Circulations via the Interpol channel can be made on a bilateral, regional or worldwide basis; therefore Interpol London may not be made aware of all requests relating to UK citizens. However, SOCA will however do its best to respond to inquiries from hon. Members.

Kajendram Suganthjan

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the immigration application of Kajendram Suganthjan, ref 589813, to be resolved.

Liam Byrne: I wrote to the hon. Member on1 December 2006.

Liberty

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has provided financial support to Liberty in each of the last three years.

Liam Byrne: The financial support that has been given to Liberty was a payment of £4,720.36 in 2003-04. There were no grants paid.

Parliamentary Questions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parliamentary written questions his Department received in each parliamentary Session since 2001; and how many of these questions  (a) were not answered because of disproportionate cost,  (b) were not answered,  (c) received answers referring back to a previous answer(i) asked by the hon. Member and (ii) asked by another hon. Member and  (d) were grouped together for answer.

Tony McNulty: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Parliamentary Questions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what target his Department has for the maximum acceptable amount of time to answer parliamentary written questions; and what percentage of parliamentary answers met that target in each parliamentary Session since 2001.

Tony McNulty: The Department aims to answer parliamentary questions within the time scales specified by Parliament. It publishes its performance statistics on answering PQs within its annual report. Copies of these reports can be found in the House Library.

People Trafficking

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had on the merits of the UK signing the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government have made progress in deciding whether to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

Vernon Coaker: The UK is still considering whether to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. The Government are examining how the convention's approach could best be harmonised with effective immigration controls. I have had internal meetings with fellow Ministers to discuss the merits of the Convention.

Police

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines he gives to police authorities on their vehicle procurement decisions.

Tony McNulty: Police authorities and their chief constables are responsible for their vehicle procurement decisions. However, since 1990, the police information technology organisation and the National Association of Police Fleet Managers, have through the use of framework arrangements, implemented a collaborative approach on a national basis for the provision of police vehicles and their spare parts. While the frameworks referred to above are widely used, the ultimate purchasing decision remains at a local level and will take into account local operational needs.

Police

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of costs to Essex police arising from the proposals of the police force mergers; how much the Essex police force has applied for in compensation; and how much money it has received from his Department.

Tony McNulty: The claim from Essex police was for £169,870 and the Home Office has made an offer of £100,000.

Police: Absences

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the rates of police officer absences for sickness were in each police force area in England and Wales in the last period for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: The total number of police officer hours lost to sickness for the period 2005-06 can be found at.
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/performance-and-measurement/performance-assessment/
	These assessments form part of the policing performance assessment framework. A hard copy of that document will be placed in the Library.

Police: Numbers

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there are of each rank per 100,000 of population in each police force in England and Wales.

Tony McNulty: The available data are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Police officer strength by rank (FTE)( 1)  per 100,000 population( 2)  by police force in England and Wales as 31 March 2006 
			   ACPO rank  Chief superintendent  Superintendent  Chief inspector  Inspector  Sergeant  Constable 
			 Avon and Somerset 0.3 0.8 1.3 2.7 10.4 32.2 178.7 
			 Bedfordshire 0.5 0.9 1.6 2.6 10.2 27.7 169.1 
			 Cambridgeshire 0.3 0.9 2.2 3.3 9.2 31.3 149.2 
			 Cheshire 0.4 0.6 1.5 2.4 11.7 34.6 172.3 
			 Cleveland 0.7 1.1 2.5 2.7 14.6 44.2 241.8 
			 Cumbria 0.8 1.2 1.6 3.4 11.7 35.0 201.8 
			 Derbyshire 0.4 0.7 1.5 2.9 9.7 30.2 166.3 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0.3 0.6 1.4 2.3 10.0 31.8 172.2 
			 Dorset 0.4 0.6 1.7 3.9 10.0 31.1 168.2 
			 Durham 0.5 1.2 1.5 3.0 14.8 41.1 226.1 
			 Essex 0.3 0.7 1.3 2.7 8.8 28.6 160.8 
			 Gloucestershire 0.7 1.2 1.4 4.0 12.2 33.6 174.4 
			 Greater Manchester 0.3 0.7 2.2 3.4 14.3 43.7 253.2 
			 Hampshire 0.2 0.4 1.9 2.6 10.1 33.5 162.3 
			 Hertfordshire 0.4 0.6 1.5 2.9 8.6 25.2 168.8 
			 Humberside 0.5 1.1 1.8 3.8 12.8 35.9 195.6 
			 Kent 0.3 0.6 1.4 3.0 10.8 29.9 180.5 
			 Lancashire 0.3 0.8 1.3 2.9 12.7 39.1 196.3 
			 Leicestershire 0.4 1.2 1.7 2.9 10.9 31.3 192.5 
			 Lincolnshire 0.4 0.7 1.2 2.1 9.7 27.4 142.0 
			 London(3) 0.6 1.3 3.2 6.6 23.2 71.6 321.9 
			 Merseyside 0.5 1.0 2.3 4.4 16.1 46.9 243.9 
			 Norfolk 0.4 1.2 1.3 3.6 9.7 30.7 145.9 
			 Northamptonshire 0.6 0.9 1.4 3.2 10.5 29.9 160.3 
			 Northumbria 0.4 0.9 1.9 3.7 13.7 42.6 227.9 
			 North Yorkshire 0.5 0.9 2.0 2.9 11.5 35.4 162.9 
			 Nottinghamshire 0.4 0.6 1.8 3.3 11.9 37.1 187.8 
			 South Yorkshire 0.4 0.9 1.8 3.4 13.2 37.3 201.6 
			 Staffordshire 0.5 0.6 1.3 3.0 9.1 33.8 170.8 
			 Suffolk 0.4 1.0 1.5 2.9 9.2 26.2 150.0 
			 Surrey 0.6 0.7 2.1 3.4 9.6 30.1 138.0 
			 Sussex 0.3 1.1 1.4 3.1 11.6 30.3 159.2 
			 Thames Valley 0.1 0.6 1.7 2.2 10.1 26.7 160.8 
			 Warwickshire 0.8 1.0 1.5 3.2 9.7 26.5 155.3 
			 West Mercia 0.3 0.8 1.4 2.3 9.5 32.3 155.7 
			 West Midlands 0.2 1.1 1.4 2.1 13.6 42.9 256.2 
			 West Yorkshire 0.3 0.9 1.7 3.1 13.2 35.7 214.8 
			 Wiltshire 0.5 1.3 1.1 3.0 11.0 25.9 153.4 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0.6 1.0 2.2 3.0 11.9 38.2 180.2 
			 Gwent 0.5 0.9 1.8 2.7 11.1 40.8 205.6 
			 North Wales 0.6 1.0 2.2 2.2 11.7 38.0 186.5 
			 South Wales 0.4 0.7 2.4 4.5 13.2 43.4 206.6 
			 (1) Full-time equivalent figures include those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (2 )Population data taken from Mid-2002 Population Estimates (ONS). (3 )Officers per 100,000 population for City of London and Metropolitan police are combined.

Prisons

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the escape of Mark Ryder from Highpoint HMP.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I wrote to the hon. Member on7 December.

Prisons

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the Integrated Drug Treatment System funding for drug treatment has been allocated to HMP Peterborough in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 7 December 2006
	The Home Office and the Department of Health are funding £12 million in 2006-07 for improved clinical drug treatment for prisoners. A first wave of 17 prisons was selected to implement the full IDTS programme; and a further 28 prisons selected to utilise the funds to improve drug services. HMP Peterborough was not included in these first 45 prisons.
	The first-wave prisons were selected to ensure a spread between geographical areas, male and female prisons and public and contracted prisons; to involve all Government Office and Prison Service regions; and thereby provide a broad base for evaluation. These prisons were also chosen because evidence showed an overriding need to improve the quality of their clinical drug services.

Prisons

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide the figures on released foreign prisoners in Peterborough referred to in the Prime Minister's oral answer of 11 October 2006,  Official Report, column 298.

Liam Byrne: I wrote to the hon. Member about this matter on 29 November.

Prisons

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many released prisoners who were not assessed for deportation at the end of their term remain at large.

Liam Byrne: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary explained on 9 October to the House that the director general of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate had written to the Home Affairs Committee on that date. In that letter, the director general provided the latest breakdown of the most accurate and robust information that the Department holds on the 1,013 prisoners released without consideration of deportation.
	A copy of the letter is available from the Library of the House and a further update will be provided to the Home Affairs Committee early next year.

TV Advertising

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by his Department on television advertisements in the last year for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: During the financial year 2005-06 the Home Office media spend for television advertising was £4,008,170. This figure excludes production costs.

TREASURY

Average Earnings

Michael Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of  (a) male and  (b) female (i) full-time and (ii) part-time employees in (A) Scotland, (B) each of the unitary local authority areas in Scotland and (C) the UK had weekly gross earnings, including overtime, below (1) £295.88, (2) £222.00 and (3) £189.38 in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the  (a) average and  (b) median (i) hourly and (ii) weekly gross earnings including and excluding overtime were for (A) male and (B) female (1) full-time employees and (2) part-time employees aged (u) 16-17, (v) 18-21, (w) 22-29, (x) 30-39, (y) 40-49 and (z) over50 years in (yy) Scotland and (zz) each of the unitary local authority areas in Scotland in each of the last five years;
	(3)  what the  (a) average and  (b) median (i) hourly and (ii) weekly gross earnings including and excluding overtime were for (A) male and (B) female employees working in the (1) private, (2) public and (3) not classified sectors in (xx) Scotland and (yy) each of the unitary local authority areas in Scotland in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 11 December 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about earnings in Scotland. (104788, 104789 & 104790).
	Information in the form requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay Award

Michael Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the effective pay award date is for staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs; and what the actual implementation date was in each case in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The effective pay award date for staff in the Treasury, together with the actual implementation date in each case in the last five years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Effective pay award date  Implementation date 
			  Department HM Treasury   
			 2002 1 August 2002 August 2002 
			 2003 1 August 2003 October 2003 
			 2004 1 August 2004 December 2004 
			 2005 1 August 2005 September 2005 
			 2006 1 August 2006 November 2006 
		
	
	The effective pay award date for staff in HMRC and the former Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise, together with the actual implementation date in each case in the last five years, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Effective pay award date  Implementation date 
			  Department: Inland Revenue   
			 2002 1 August 2002 November 2002 
			 2003 1 August 2003 August 2003 
			 2004 1 August 2004 August 2004 
			
			  Department: Customs and Excise   
			 2002 1 June 2002 August 2002 
			 2003 1 June 2003 November 2003 
			 2004 1 June 2004 June 2004 
			
			  Department: Revenue and Customs   
			 2005 1 June 2005 February 2006 
			 2006 1 June 2006 June 2006

Economic Statistics: City of York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the average household income was in City of York  (a) parliamentary constituency and  (b) council area in each year since 1992 for (i) working, (ii) retired and (iii) unemployed households;
	(2)  what the average income was of  (a) males and  (b) females working (i) full-time and (ii) part-time in City of York (A) parliamentary constituency and (B) council area in each year since 1992.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 11 December2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking:
	(1) what the average household income was in the City of York (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) council area in each year since 1992 for (i) working, (ii) retired and (iii) unemployed households (106679) and;
	(2) what the average income was of (a) males and (b) females working (i) full-time and (ii) part-time in City of York (A) parliamentary constituency and (B) council area in each year since 1992. (106680)
	(1) Estimates of household income which include income from earnings, benefits, pensions, investment income and other sources, are generally based on household surveys. The largest of these is the Family Resources Survey which has an annual sample in the UK of around 28,000 households. This is sufficient to produce estimates of household income at national and regional level, but not for smaller areas.
	However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has recently published estimates of household income for wards for 2001/02 only. These estimates are based on a statistical model and are experimental statistics—this means they have been developed in accordance with the principles set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice but have yet to be fully accredited as National Statistics. These ward level estimates can be used to provide estimates of average household income for areas made up of wards.
	The estimates are mean net equivalised incomes. Equivalised household incomes are standardized to take into account different sizes and compositions of households. The standard household is deemed to be a two adult household with no children, and so these equivalised incomes can be interpreted as indicating a standard of living that would be achieved by a standard household with that income. The estimates are net of income tax, national insurance contributions, contributions to occupational pension schemes, and council tax
	Using these model-based estimates of household income, it is estimated that for the City of York parliamentary constituency in 2001/02, mean net income before housing costs was £360 per week, while after housing costs it was £320. For the City of York council area, the mean net income before housing costs was £374 per week, while after housing costs it was £339.
	(2) ONS does not produce statistics on the average income of individuals, however, average earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. This is the standard definition used for ASHE. The ASHE does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work. ASHE is only available from 1997. The attached tables show Average Gross Weekly Earnings for the parliamentary constituency of City of York, and for the Unitary Authority council area of York, for the years 1997 to 2006.
	
		
			  Gross weekly pay for Employee jobs( a)  by Place of Work (parliamentary constituency) 
			   City of York 
			   Median  Mean 
			   Full-time  Part-time  Full-time  Part-time 
			   Male  Female  Male  Female  Male  Female  Male  Female 
			 2006 *509 **393 x **149 *600 *444 **144 *191 
			 2005 *501 *361 x **145 *549 *407 x *166 
			 2004(b) *474 *347 x **139 528 *414 x *154 
			 2004 *498 **346 x **142 *547 *418 x *157 
			 2003 *490 *328 x **124 515 *378 **143 *148 
			 2002 *466 *304 x **124 484 338 x *135 
			 2001 *408 *302 x **125 456 330 x *140 
			 2000 *407 *293 x **121 459 *324 x *127 
			 1999 *390 **268 x **102 442 *305 **107 *107 
			 1998 *387 *261 x **103 429 288 **94 *112 
			 1997 *386 *241 x **87 401 267 x *98 
		
	
	
		
			  Gross weekly pay for Employee jobs( a)  by Place of Work (council area) 
			   York Unitary Authority 
			   Median  Mean 
			   Full-time  Part-time  Full-time  Part-time 
			   Male  Female  Male  Female  Male  Female  Male  Female 
			 2006 *491 *391 x *146 *578 444 **148 *174 
			 2005 *454 *356 x *133 508 399 **140 *156 
			 2004(b) *460 *342 x *126 505 *398 x *147 
			 2004 *472 *342 x *130 526 *399 **158 *150 
			 2003 *446 *335 x **124 *490 *372 **139 *144 
			 2002 *448 *306 x *125 *475 *349 x *138 
			 2001 *402 *303 x **116 447 331 x *132 
			 2000 *403 *286 x **117 462 320 **93 *126 
			 1999 *382 *267 x *101 432 303 x *111 
			 1998 *372 *250 x *95 420 284 x *106 
			 1997 *363 *235 x *89 397 260 x *103 
			 (a) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. (b) In 2004 additional supplementary surveys were introduced to improve the coverage of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Figures are presented both excluding and including the additional surveys for comparison purposes.  Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220.  Key: CV <= 5% * CV > 5% and <= 10% ** CV > 10% and <=20% x CV > 20% The median replaces the mean as the headline statistic. The weighted mean is the sum of the weighted values divided by the sum of the weights. The median is the value below which 50 per cent of employees fall. It is preferred over the mean for earnings data as it is influenced less by extreme values and because of the skewed distribution of earnings data.  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Furniture Manufacturing Businesses

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many furniture manufacturing businesses were  (a) registered and  (b) de-registered for VAT in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
	The following table shows the number of furniture manufacturers that have  (a) registered and  (b) de-registered for VAT in each year since 1997. The start of year stock of VAT registered businesses is also shown.
	
		
			  Number of VAT registrations, de-registrations and start of year VAT registered stock 1997-2005 
			   Registrations  De-registrations  Start of year stock 
			 1997 655 610 7,615 
			 1998 655 590 7,660 
			 1999 640 635 7,725 
			 2000 620 595 7,730 
			 2001 540 605 7,755 
			 2002 490 640 7,695 
			 2003 575 605 7,545 
			 2004 495 590 7,515 
			 2005 485 595 7,420 
			  Note: Figures are for SIC code 361, manufacturer of furniture.  Source: Small Business Service Analytical Unit, available from www.sbs.gov.uk/vat 
		
	
	VAT registration and de-registration data do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if their turnover falls below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register will not necessarily have closed. Only 1.8 million out of 4.3 million businesses (42 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2005.

Insurance: Travel

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect on the income generated to the Exchequer has resulted from the extension of the higher rate of insurance premium tax to all travel insurance since 1998.

John Healey: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs does not collect data on insurance premium tax from individual types of insurance.

Lyons Review

John Cummings: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many jobs have been relocated to  (a) the north-east and  (b) elsewhere following the Lyons Review; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Strong progress has been made towards our target of relocating 20,000 civil service posts out of London and the south-east by 2010 and by the end of September 2006 more than 10,500 posts had already been moved to every nation and region in the UK. Of these, more than 640 went to the north-east.

Mortality Rates

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the mortality rate was of  (a) men and  (b) women in Eastbourne in each year since 1996.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 11 December 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the mortality rate was of (a) men and (b) women in Eastbourne in each year since 1996. (105112)
	The attached table provides the age-standardised mortality rate for (a) men and (b) women in Eastbourne local authority for the years 1996 to 2005 (the latest available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Age-standardised mortality rates( 1) , Eastbourne local authority, 1996 to 2005( 2) 
			  Deaths per 100,000 
			   Males  Females 
			 1996 845 546 
			 1997 805 541 
			 1998 805 536 
			 1999 820 518 
			 2000 786 517 
			 2001 877 494 
			 2002 796 488 
			 2003 730 496 
			 2004 754 512 
			 2005 726 522 
			 (1) Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) Using local authority boundaries as of 2005 for deaths for all years shown.

Mortality Rates

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) diagnosis and  (b) mortality rate was for (i) chronic lung disease, (ii) coronary heart disease and (iii) cancer in each ward in Eastbourne constituency in each of the last 10 years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 11 December 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the (a) diagnosis and (b) mortality rate was for (i) chronic lung disease, (ii) coronary heart disease and (iii) cancer in each ward in Eastbourne constituency in each of the last 10 years. (105113)
	Figures on the incidence of chronic lung disease and coronary heart disease are not readily available. Mortality and incidence rates are not available for parliamentary constituencies which do not share boundaries exactly with a local authority, or with any combination of whole wards; consequently, figures are given for Eastbourne local authority. The numbers of deaths and cancer registrations per year in each ward in Eastbourne local authority are too small for the reliable calculation of rates.
	The attached tables provide (a) the age-standardised cancer incidence rate in Eastbourne local authority for the years 1995 to 2004 (the latest available), and (b) the age-standardised mortality rates for (i) chronic lung disease, (ii) coronary heart disease and (iii) cancer in Eastbourne local authority for the years 1996 to 2005 (the latest available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Age-standardised cancer incidence rates( 1, 2) , Eastbourne local authority( 3) , 1995 to 2004 
			   Cases per 100,000 
			 1995 343 
			 1996 343 
			 1997 343 
			 1998 386 
			 1999 402 
			 2000 344 
			 2001 353 
			 2002 375 
			 2003 294 
			 2004 360 
			 (1) Age-standardised cancer registration rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C00-C97 excluding non-melanoma skin cancer code C44. (3) Using local authority boundaries as of 2005 for cancer registrations for all years shown. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Age-standardised mortality rates for chronic lung disease, coronary heart disease and cancer( 1, 2) , Eastbourne local authority, 1996 to 2005( 3) 
			  Deaths per 100,000 
			   Chronic lung disease  Coronary heart disease  Cancer 
			 1996 30 136 164 
			 1997 22 120 192 
			 1998 34 104 197 
			 1999 27 109 181 
			 2000 26 101 176 
			 2001 25 116 184 
			 2002 24 124 175 
			 2003 34 104 167 
			 2004 26 98 185 
			 2005 18 111 180 
			 (1) Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for 1996 to 2000 (codes 490-494 and 496 for chronic lung disease, 410-414 for coronary heart disease, 140-208 for cancer), and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2001 to 2005 (codes J40-J47 for chronic lung disease, I20-I25 for coronary heart disease, C00-C97 excluding C44 for cancer). The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the number of deaths from each cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. (3) Using local authority boundaries as of 2005 for deaths for all years shown.

NASDAQ

George Mudie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what dates his  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials have held meetings with NASDAQ in the last 12 months.

Edward Balls: Treasury Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of market participants in the normal course of business.
	I refer the hon. Member to my comments in the House on 28 November 2006,  Official Report, column 989.
	In addition, over the last 12 months Treasury Ministers and officials have met with the Dubai International Financial Exchange, Euronext (and LIFFE), Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, ICE Futures, the London Metal Exchange, the London Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange, Nymex Europe, the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Virt-x.

Office of Fair Trading

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what  (a) discussions and  (b) meetings have taken place between (i) officials and (ii) Ministers in his Department and the Office of Fair Trading on the OFT investigation of default charges on (A) credit cards and (B) bank current accounts.

Edward Balls: No meetings have taken place between Treasury Ministers and the OFT to discuss these investigations. Officials have discussed both the investigation into credit card default charges and the investigation into bank account default charges with the OFT on a purely informative basis as part of wider discussions on competition inquiries into the banking sector. The OFT is an independent competition and consumer protection authority and considers cases on the basis of the objective information that it collects.

Pensioners: Irish

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) males and  (b) females who defined themselves as Irish (i) of pensionable age, (ii) aged over 75 and (iii) aged over 80 were resident in each ward in the UK on the last date for which figures are available.

John Healey: holding answer 4 December 2006
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 11 December 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many  (a) males and  (b) females who defined themselves as Irish (i) of pensionable age, (ii) aged over 75 and (iii) aged over 80 were resident in each ward in the UK. (107701)
	The number of people resident in each ward in England and Wales, who described their ethnicity to be Irish, by sex and 5-year age groups, is available in table SI01 on the DVD Standard Tables for Wards in England and Wales, which is available in the House of Commons Library and also on request from2001 Census Customer Services [census.customerservices@ons.gsi.gov.uk].
	The equivalent table for Scotland is S235, which has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	Unlike England and Wales and Scotland, the ethnic question in the 2001 Northern Ireland Census did not include a separate "Irish" tick box response option. Accordingly, comparable figures cannot be provided for Northern Ireland.

Pensions

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the pension liability is for state employees; and what it was in May 1997.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 26 October 2006,  Official Report, column 2020W, to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws).

Planning Gain Supplement

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the responses to the Treasury's planning gain supplement consultation paper.

John Healey: The Government will do so shortly, although a summary of responses was published at the pre-Budget report. A list of organisations and individuals who responded to the consultation is available on the Treasury website.

Private Finance Initiative

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research he has commissioned into the impact of the secondary private finance initiative market on the cost of PFI contracts.

John Healey: The Treasury has not commissioned specific research into the impact of secondary markets on the cost of PFI contracts. However, chapter seven of the Treasury publication 'PFI: Strengthening Long Term Partnerships' (published March 2006, www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget/budget.06/other-documents/bud-bud06-odpfi.cfm) sets out the Government's view on secondary equity markets in relation to PFI.

Social Investment Taskforce

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) running costs,  (b) expenses claimed by members,  (c) salaries paid,  (d) cost of the production of reports,  (e) cost of Departmental staff working time and  (f) other costs were of the Social Investment Taskforce in the last year for which figures are available.

John Healey: The Social Investment Taskforce was created in 2000 to investigate and apply the principles of community development finance to the creation of enterprise in disadvantaged areas.
	The taskforce members were selected for their expertise and all were unpaid. The taskforce was resourced by the UK Social Investment Forum, the Development Trusts Association and the New Economics Foundation. Treasury officials attended all four taskforce meetings in an observing capacity.

Social Security Benefits: Terrorism

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many households have had benefit payments restricted on suspicion of terrorism since July 2006;
	(2)  how many individuals listed for involvement in terrorism had  (a) benefits and  (b) other payments approved under licence by the Treasury in each of the last 12 months.

Edward Balls: Since July 2006, six households connected with listed individuals have had their benefit payments restricted in accordance with the policy outlined in my written statement of 3 July 2006. In addition, over the last 12 months, we have licensed benefits payments for two listed individuals and issued 37 licences in relation to other payments, 35 of which are for legal expenses. Licences have been issued under both the terrorism and al-Qaeda sanctions regimes, in accordance with our international legal obligations, and have included appropriate safeguards to prevent funds being diverted to terrorism.

Stamp Duty

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely change in revenue between 2005-06 and 2006-07 as a result of stamp duty thresholds for  (a) 3 per cent. duty and  (b) 4 per cent. duty on residential properties remaining unchanged.

Edward Balls: The estimated amount of stamp duty land tax for 2005-06 arising from residential transactions, by stamp duty land tax band, is given at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/stamp_duty/table15-3.xls
	Estimates of stamp duty land tax for 2006-07, arising from residential transactions, will be published next September.

Stamp Duty

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the likely annual reduction in revenue that would result from a 0 per cent. stamp duty rate for zero carbon homes, based on the current numbers of zero carbon homes;
	(2)  for how long the time limited 0 per cent. stamp duty rate for zero carbon homes will apply.

Edward Balls: The 2006 pre-Budget report, announced a time-limited stamp duty exemption for the vast majority of new zero carbon homes. Full details of this exemption will be published at the time of the 2007 Budget.

Taxation: Betting

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect on the income generated to the Exchequer has resulted from the amendments to betting duty announced in measure 33 of his 2003 Budget report since 2003.

John Healey: Revenues from gambling taxes are published in Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs betting, gaming and lottery duties bulletin, available at:
	http://www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bullbett

Valuation Office

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Valuation Office Agency's computer-assisted mass appraisal system will be compatible with the national identity register.

John Healey: The Valuation Office Agency does not have a computer-assisted mass appraisal system. It has developed only an automated valuation model. Therefore the issue of compatibility with the national identity register does not arise.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Services

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the future of accident and emergency services at  (a) Northwick Park hospital and  (b) Central Middlesex hospital.

Ivan Lewis: This is a matter for the local national health service. However, NHS London has advised that in May 2006 the North West London hospitals NHS trust board, of which Northwick Park hospital and Central Middlesex hospital are both part, discussed options for reconfiguring services between the two hospital sites while reviewing the strategic outline case for redevelopment of Northwick Park hospital.
	We understand that no decision was taken then and the trust and host PCTs, Harrow and Brent, have since launched a three-month discussion programme with local people and other stakeholders about how local health services should be delivered in future.

Adult Social Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 30 November 2006,  Official Report, column 910W, on adult social care, if she will make it her policy to make explicit in the national minimum care standards for care homes Government advice that people need to drink six to eight glasses of fluid every day.

Ivan Lewis: The review of the national minimum standards is still ongoing and will be subject to public consultation in due course.

Ambulance Service

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what ambulance response times to emergency calls were for every NHS trust in each year since 2000.

Ivan Lewis: Validated information about ambulance services' response times to emergency calls is collected each year by the Department on return KA34 and published annually. Copies are available in the Library and available on the information centre for health and social care's website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/icpubfolder_view

Ambulance Service

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulance paramedics and technicians were employed in each ambulance trust  (a) on 11 September 2001 and  (b) in each year since.

Ivan Lewis: The following table shows the number of ambulance paramedics employed in each ambulance trust as at 30 September of each year since 2001. The work force census does not separately identify the number of ambulance technicians from the rest of the ambulance personnel staff group.
	
		
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 England(1) 7,075 7,147 7,241 7,536 8,311 
			  of which:  
			 Avon Ambulance Service 185 196 229 262 258 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Ambulance and Paramedic Service 340 351 163 166 155 
			 Cumbria Ambulance Service 113 121 144 148 146 
			 Dorset Ambulance Service 154 169 134 158 158 
			 East Anglian Ambulance Service 440 467 348 374 401 
			 East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust 318 320 294 293 296 
			 Essex Ambulance Service 240 233 236 255 313 
			 Gloucestershire Ambulance Service 100 103 100 94 93 
			 Greater Manchester Ambulance Service 301 334 358 381 387 
			 Hampshire Ambulance Service 176 179 167 141 193 
			 Hereford & Worcester Ambulance Service 93 107 101 112 140 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust 39 38 38 43 45 
			 Kent Ambulance Service 202 191 223 213 248 
			 Lancashire Ambulance Service 136 166 198 210 232 
			 Lincolnshire Ambulance and Health Transport Service 191 181 191 207 225 
			 London Ambulance service 744 770 829 875 961 
			 Mersey Ambulance Service 416 281 337 298 416 
			 North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust 273 255 276 295 301 
			 Oxfordshire Ambulance 63 60 66 66 80 
			 Royal Berkshire Ambulance Service 117 101 179 196 177 
			 South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service 159 133 173 169 179 
			 Staffordshire Ambulance Service 183 206 191 200 428 
			 Surrey Ambulance Service 160 152 147 159 167 
			 Sussex Ambulance Services 217 254 249 278 234 
			 Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 297 298 313 315 309 
			 Two Shires Ambulance Service 90 92 90 111 134 
			 Warwickshire Ambulance Service 70 77 80 125 156 
			 West Midlands Ambulance Service 385 495 486 432 454 
			 West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service 251 252 284 320 334 
			 Westcountry Ambulance Service 432 464 516 541 568 
			 Wiltshire Ambulance Service 109 98 96 87 85 
			 (1) A small number of ambulance paramedics are employed outside ambulance trusts. These are included in the England totals to provide national figures.  Note: Ambulance service staff can be coded as: managers, paramedics, personnel or trainee personnel. The numbers in the table are for paramedics as reported by the trusts. It is possible that trusts may have revised the coding of some staff from paramedic to personnel and vice versa in the light of improved guidance on coding.  Source: The information centre for health and social care non-medical workforce census

Bonuses

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid in bonuses to  (a) staff and  (b) senior managers in (i) strategic and special health authorities, (ii) NHS trusts and (iii) primary care trusts in (A) real and (B) nominal terms in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the pay of individuals in strategic and special health authorities, NHS trusts and PCT is not collected centrally by the Department as part of its central returns collation of NHS information.
	NHS organisations are autonomous public bodies and, as such, the pay of their senior executive teams are a matter of public record and published in their annual accounts.

Cancer Treatment

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist  (a) breast cancer,  (b) lung cancer,  (c) prostate cancer and  (d) colorectal cancer nurses work in the NHS.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally.
	Specialist cancer nurses were not separately identifiable in the work force census from the rest of the nursing work force.

Chronic Illnesses

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital beds are available in  (a) Liverpool,  (b) Sefton,  (c) Knowsley and  (d) Wirral for patients (i) in a permanent vegetative state, (ii) with advanced Huntingtons disease and (iii) with CJD; where these beds are located; and how many new cases of these conditions occurred in these areas in each of the last three years.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally.

Chronic Illnesses

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she plans to create centres of excellence for patients with chronic disability in Merseyside.

Ivan Lewis: Health services in the Mersey area, in conjunction with clinicians and patients, are developing care pathways to improve services for patients with chronic disability. These services will be patient centred rather than having an organisational focus. Many patients with chronic conditions are cared for in their own homes.

Consultant Fees

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether fees due to a consultant on a full-time contract to an NHS hospital for reports are paid to  (a) the NHS and  (b) the consultant.

Ivan Lewis: 'Fee Paying Services' are covered by schedule 10 of the consultant contract (2003) terms and conditions of service. 'Fee Paying Services' include the provision of specialist medical reports.
	Schedule 11 of the consultant contract (2003) terms and conditions of service sets out the principles governing the receipt of fees for such services. It provides that the consultant should remit any fees to his/her employer when carrying out fee-paying work for other organisations during NHS time, unless the work involves minimal disruption and the employer agrees that it may be done in NHS time without the employer collecting the fee.
	For fee-paying work carried out in the consultant's own time, the consultant can retain the fee.
	The 2003 consultant contract was designed to clarify the NHS commitment and private practice commitment, and to provide stronger guarantees that private practice would not disrupt provision of NHS services or detract from NHS performance. Under the new arrangements, there is much greater transparency about consultants' contractual commitments to the NHS, and clear guidelines on private work.

Death Benefits

Ian Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints in respect of delays in the payment of death benefits to bereaved relatives of NHS staff who die in service were made against the NHS Business Services Authority in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: The NHS Business Services Authority pensions division does not collect data on complaints as its systems do not specifically identify all complaints received as a result of the late payment of death in service benefits. I understand that there have been five complaints about late payment of death in service benefit addressed to the pensions division managing director or referred by an hon. Member from January to November 2006.

Departmental Staff

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of staff employed in the top five grades of her Department have  (a) a graduate qualification in IT and  (b) previous employment as an IT specialist.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many temporary employees were contracted to work for her Department in 2005-06; and what the total cost of such employees was in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 1997-98.

Ivan Lewis: The average number of temporary staff employed by the Department, over the year 2005-06, was 70 full-time equivalent. Based on their average salary of £26,500 the total cost of such employees was £1,855,000.
	Information is not available for 1997-98.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many value for money exercises on the use of  (a) management consultants and  (b) professional advisers have been conducted by her Department in each of the last five years for which information is available; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Department is committed to ensuring that the contracts it lets provide value for money, through competitive tendering, and by evaluating the performance of external consultants once contracts have ended. However, the Department does not currently record any central data on value-for-money exercises, and it is not possible to collate this, because of the disproportionate costs in doing so.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's annual budget is for employing workers on a consultancy basis; and how much of this budget has been used in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Ivan Lewis: The Department does not set an annual budget for employing workers on a consultancy basis.
	However, the Department does record how much it spends on external consultancy services (where in-house resources were not available). Information for the previous five years is set out as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  £000 
			 2001-02 7,056 
			 2002-03 7,266 
			 2003-04 10,031 
			 2004-05 12,800 
			 2005-06 (1)6,000 
			 (1) The 2005-06 spend is lower because the Department rectified some miscoding against the expenditure category codes to provide a more accurate figure of external consultancy spend.

Diabetes

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when her Department will launch the Year of Care project for diabetes; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The commitment to test a Year of Care approach to commissioning diabetes services was included in the "Choosing Health" White Paper, and reinforced in the "Our Health, Our Care, Our Say" White Paper. The project will be formally launched in spring 2007.

Direct Payments

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Gloucestershire are receiving direct payments.

Ivan Lewis: The Department has been informed by the chair of the commission for social care inspection that on the 31 March 2006 Gloucestershire reported a total of 241 adults and young people receiving direct payments.

Doctors: Leicester

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors are employed by the Leicester city primary care trust area; and how many were employed in 1997.

Ivan Lewis: The information is not available in the format requested, there being no data for the number of doctors employed across all national health service providers specifically within the Leicester city PCT area.
	The latest available NHS work force figures are for September 2005. At that time, 199 general medical practitioners were employed by Eastern Leicester PCT and Leicester city west PCT, the forerunner organisations for the area now covered by Leicester city PCT.
	Figures for the number of GPs in employment in Leicester city in 1997 are not available.

Elderly Patients

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to improve the  (a) feeding and  (b) hygiene care of elderly people treated by the NHS.

Ivan Lewis: "Essence of Care", published in 2001, provides a framework for improving the quality of the essential aspects of care, including feeding and hygiene care, in all health and social care settings. The benchmarking process outlined in "Essence of Care" enables services to identify best practice and to develop action plans to remedy poor practice.
	Through the National Patient Safety Association, we are also taking action to ensure that patients are screened on admission to hospital to identify those at risk of malnutrition, and extending the use of protected mealtimes so that patients can concentrate on eating, and staff can give the help they need.
	"A New Ambition for Old Age—Next Steps in Implementing the National Service Framework for Older People", published in April 2006, sets out the next phase of reform of older people's services and reaffirms the Government's commitment to ensuring that dignity considerations are embedded in all aspects of care. Since January 2006, the Department of Health has taken a number of steps to take forward the dignity in care agenda at a national level including, on14 November, the launch of the first dignity in care campaign.

Hospital Car Parking

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that the forthcoming guide on hospital car parking charges to be issued by the income generation team meets the Department's disability equality duty under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005.

Ivan Lewis: The forthcoming guide on hospital car parking charges as an income generation scheme will be assessed for its impact on disability equality as required by the disability discrimination legislation. It is for individual national health service organisations to satisfy themselves that they are meeting their duties under the 2005 Act. This will be highlighted in the aforementioned guide. Guidance on producing disability equality schemes has been made available to the NHS.

Hospital Car Parking

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the compliance of the "Transport and Car Parking" guidance issued by the estates and facilities division in February 2006 with the Department's disability equality duty under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005;
	(2)  how trusts' compliance with departmental guidance on hospital car parking will be monitored; and what penalties trusts will face if they fail to comply with that guidance.

Ivan Lewis: The Department provides advice, such as the "Transport and Car Parking" guidance referred to in the question, to assist national health service bodies in the performance and management of their operations and services, but does not assess or monitor compliance.
	NHS bodies are legally autonomous and must satisfy themselves that they are meeting their legislative requirements, such as the disability equality duty under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005.

Independent Sector Treatment Centres

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether NHS staff transferred to independent sector treatment centres will be able to remain members of the NHS pension scheme; and whether staff working in such centres will be eligible to join the scheme.

Ivan Lewis: National health service staff who are seconded to an independent sector treatment centre will remain on NHS terms and conditions for the period of their secondment, including entitlement to membership of the NHS pension scheme. Staff employed directly by an ISTC are not NHS staff and therefore are not eligible to join the NHS pension scheme.

King George's Hospital, Redbridge

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the running costs are for a full year's operation of the independent treatment centre based at King George's hospital, Redbridge.

Ivan Lewis: Independent sector treatment centre providers receive payments for the provision of services. Health care companies bidding for ISTC contracts do provide forecast running costs to the Department as part of the bidding process but this information is commercial and so in confidence.

Medical Staff: Gateshead and Blaydon

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many extra  (a) doctors,  (b) nurses and  (c) other health service staff have been employed in (i) Gateshead primary care trust and (ii) Blaydon constituency since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: The information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the numbers of NHS staff in the Gateshead PCT by main staff group as at 30 September each specified year.
	
		
			  Headcount 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 All staff 1,173 1,241 1,278 1,393 
			 All Doctors 147 151 162 161 
			 All Medical and Dental staff(1) 12 13 15 15 
			 All GPs(2) 135 138 147 146 
			 Practice staff(3) 452 459 435 439 
			 Practice Nurses 104 109 102 112 
			 Non-Medical staff total 574 631 681 793 
			 Professionally qualified clinical staff 334 353 381 450 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 230 237 253 306 
			 Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 104 116 128 144 
			 Qualified Allied Health Professions 74 87 91 102 
			 Other Qualified Scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 30 29 37 42 
			 Support to clinical staff 165 199 211 238 
			 Support to doctors and nursing staff 156 176 187 217 
			 Support to ST&T staff 9 23 24 21 
			 NHS infrastructure support 73 79 89 105 
			 Central functions 43 35 34 47 
			 Hotel, property and estates 1 1 2 3 
			 Managers and senior managers 29 43 53 55 
			 Other staff or those with unknown classification 2 0 0 0 
			 (1) Excludes medical Hospital Practitioners and medical Clinical Assistants, most of whom are GPs working part time in hospitals. (2) All Practitioners includes Contracted GPs, GMS Others, PMS Others, GP Registrars and GP Retainers. (3) Practice Staff includes Practice Nurses, Direct Patient Care, Admin and Clerical and Other. Data covers: NHS Staff directly employed by the PCT; and GP practices who are commissioned by the PCT.  Sources: The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census. The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will  (a) place in the Library and  (b) make available on her Department's website a copy of "Avoidable Deaths" the five-year report of the national confidential inquiry into suicide and homicide by people with mental illness.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 7 December 2006
	"Avoidable Deaths" is a product of the centre for suicide prevention at the university of Manchester. The centre has been commissioned by the National Patient Safety Agency to investigate suicides, homicides and sudden unexplained deaths in mental health services and make recommendations on how they might be prevented.
	I understand from the director of the national confidential inquiry into suicide and homicide by people with mental illness (NCI) that the full version of "Avoidable Deaths" is only available from the website at:
	www.medicine.manchester.ac.uk/suicideprevention/nci/
	Copies of the full report are available in the Library.
	A link to the NCI website can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/mentalhealth

Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many homicides have been attributed to people  (a) diagnosed with schizophrenia and  (b) receiving treatment for schizophrenia in each of the last 10 years.

Rosie Winterton: According to the latest five-year report of the national confidential inquiry into suicide and homicide by people with mental illness, the number of homicides by people with schizophrenia is around 30 per year which represents 5 per cent. of all homicides. NCI's findings show that half the perpetrators with schizophrenia were current or recent patients while one third had no previous contact with services.
	NCI's previous five-year report published in 2001 also found that the number of homicides by people with schizophrenia was around 5 per cent. of all homicides.

NHS Continuing Care

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were receiving NHS continuing care in England on 31 March in each primary care trust.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

NHS Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what change there has been in the financial position of  (a) primary care trusts and  (b) hospital trusts in North Yorkshire in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The following table shows the 2005-06 final audited accounts and the 2006-07 quarter one and two forecast outturn position for NHS trusts and primary care trusts in the North Yorkshire area.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Organisation name  2005-06 final accounts surplus/(deficit)  2006-07 quarter 1 forecast outturn surplus/(deficit)  2006-07 quarter 2 forecast outturn surplus/(deficit) 
			 Tees East and North Yorks Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0 (3,900) n/a 
			 Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT (1,988) 0 (4,700) 
			 Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT (4,505) (4,745) 0 
			 Scarborough, Whitby and Rydale PCT (5,932) (5,932) (5,257) 
			 Selby and York PCT (23,651) 0 (9,693) 
			 Yorkshire Wolds and Coast PCT (11,498) 0 (7,332) 
			 Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust (8,961) (16,800) (7,489) 
			 York Hospitals NHS Trust 9 0 0 
			  Sources: 1. 2005-06 audited summarisation schedules. 2. 2006-07 monthly financial monitoring returns.

NHS Funding Formula

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the impact on Northamptonshire's NHS of the capitation element of the NHS funding formula.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 7 December 2006
	The weighted capitation formula is one of four elements used to set allocations for primary care trusts. The other three elements are recurrent baselines (the previous year's allocation plus in-year adjustments), distances from targets (the difference between weighted capitation targets and recurrent baselines) and pace of change policy (which determines the level of increases given to PCTs).
	The national formula is overseen by the independent advisory committee on resource allocation and is applied consistently to all PCTs. The impact on the 2006-07 and 2007-08 allocations to PCTs in Northamptonshire is shown in the table.
	
		
			   2006-07 and 2007-08 percentage increase in funding  2007-08 closing percentage distance from target 
			 Cherwell Vale 24.1 -3.5 
			 Daventry and South Northamptonshire 26.1 -3.5 
			 Northampton 23.0 -3.5 
			 Northamptonshire Heartlands 29.4 -3.5 
			 South Peterborough 20.2 -2.2 
			 England average 19.5 0.0 
			  Note:  The table is based on allocations made to 303 PCTs before they were reduced to 152 PCTs on 1 October 2006. From 1 October 2006 there is one Northamptonshire PCT.

NHS Operating Framework

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to table 94a on page Ev249 of her Department's memorandum to the Health Committee, HC 1692-i, how the overall 2006-07 tariff uplift of4 per cent. may be reconciled with the figure of 1.5 per cent. published in paragraph 5.2, page 18, of her Department's document "The NHS in England: the Operating Framework for 2006-07", published on26 January 2006.

Andy Burnham: The gross uplift to the 2006-07 tariff was 6.5 per cent., less 2.5 per cent, efficiency, resulting in a 4 per cent. net uplift.
	There were however some technical adjustments to the tariff quantum that resulted in the overall increase in value of the tariff from one year to the next being 1.5 per cent. This information is contained in "Implementing Payment by Results: Technical Guidance 2006-07, Executive Summary", which is available in the Library.

NHS Professionals

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget for NHS Professionals was in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Ivan Lewis: NHS Professionals' central budget allocations from the Department since its inception as a special health authority in 2004 were:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2004-05 31.5 
			 2005-06 23 
			 2006-07 19

NHS Professionals

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what efficiency measures are in place within NHS Professionals to ensure a quick and simple process.

Ivan Lewis: NHS Professionals has now centralised its recruitment teams under a national head of recruitment. It has also implemented a bespoke recruitment administration system that is now delivering efficiencies, and reduced the average length of processing time because of faster links between recruitment, interview and training teams.
	The new recruitment system has enabled NHS Professionals to link its recruitment activity directly to both its national booking system and will, in time, link directly to the national electronic staff records service.
	The process complies with all employment legislation in the NHS, provides a genuine audit trail for all flexible workers joining NHS Professionals and helps ensure that trusts have people with appropriate skills and competencies working through NHS Professionals.

NHS Professionals

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints were received regarding NHS Professionals in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Ivan Lewis: The number of complaints received, regarding recruitment issues, since records were kept are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 January 2005 to March 2005 23 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 131 
			 April 2006 to November 2006 41

NHS Reconfiguration

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for reconfiguration of NHS services in East Sussex.

Ivan Lewis: This is a matter for the local NHS.

NHS Redundancies

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will publish NHS redundancy figures for the third quarter of 2006-07.

Ivan Lewis: National health service compulsory redundancy data for the third quarter of the current financial year will be published in the NHS financial performance report for quarter three of 2006-07.

NHS Vacancies

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average length of time was between the initial advertisement of a vacancy through NHS Professionals and the first working day of the successful applicant in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Ivan Lewis: NHS Professionals does not recruit to specific vacancies. It recruits to its bank of flexible workers and these staff are available to work in its partner trusts as and when required. The bank includes staff who hold substantive posts at NHS trusts and those staff who work only as bank staff through NHS Professionals. Staff who hold substantive roles and wish to work additional shifts at the same trust are recruited to the bank on average in seven working days. The average period of time for non-substantive post holders is 35 working days but this varies depending on Criminal Records Bureau checks and reference returns.
	The process takes this length of time because NHSP recruitment operates within stringent guidelines published by the Department designed to protect staff and patients.

NICE

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect on her Department's expenditure of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's decision to withdraw eligibility of those suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's disease to have the drugs  (a) Donepezil,  (b) Rivastigmine and  (c) Galantamine prescribed on the NHS.

Anne McGuire: I have been asked to reply.
	Changes in the prescribing arrangements for people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease are unlikely to have any effects on the Department's expenditure.

Nurses: Leicester

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses are employed by the  (a) Leicester Royal Infirmary hospital,  (b) Glenfield hospital in Leicester and  (c) Leicester general hospital; and how many were employed at each in 1997.

Ivan Lewis: The latest available national health service workforce figures are for September 2005. At that time 3,645 qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff were employed by University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. This trust was formed in 2000, through the merger of the three NHS trusts of Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield hospital and Leicester general hospital. Figures for the three individual hospitals are not available post-2000.
	In September 1997, the number of qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff employed by the three hospitals is as follows:
	
		
			  Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff employed 
			   Number 
			 Leicester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust 1,435 
			 Glenfield Hospital NHS Trust 578 
			 Leicester General Hospital NHS Trust 832 
			 Total 2,845 
			  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Physician Assistants

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans her Department has for the employment of physician assistants in the health service.

Ivan Lewis: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts and strategic health authorities to analyse their local work force needs and develop plans, in liaison with their local NHS trusts and primary care providers, to deliver high quality services and take action to secure the appropriate staff and skills to deliver these services.

Primary Care Trusts

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts do not have full-time directors of finance in post.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally.

Protection of Vulnerable Adults

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many cases individuals have challenged their inclusion on the protection of vulnerable adults list by appealing to the care standards tribunal; how many of those appeals were successful; and what the  (a) average and  (b) maximum time taken has been for an appeal to be decided.

Ivan Lewis: The number of individuals who have challenged their inclusion on the protection of vulnerable adults list by appealing to the care standards tribunal is 48. Of those, 32 appeal cases have been completed, of which 11 cases have been won by the appellants and 21 by the Secretary of State.
	I understand from the President of the care standards tribunal that the average length of time taken for an appeal to be decided is 74.4 days and the maximum time taken has been around 355 days.

Radiographers

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the  (a) actual and  (b) optimum number of (i) diagnostic and (ii) therapeutic radiographers working in the NHS.

Ivan Lewis: As at September 2005 there were a total of 14,539 radiographers working in the national health service, of which 12,700 were diagnostic radiographers and 1,839 were therapeutic radiographers.
	It is the responsibility of primary care trusts and strategic health authorities to analyse their local situation and develop plans, in liaison with their local NHS trusts and primary care providers, to deliver high quality NHS services and take action to recruit the appropriate staff required to deliver these services.

School Nurses

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) school nurses and  (b) school health assistants have been made redundant in the last three years in (i) Coventry and (ii) England; and what steps she is taking to ensure that the ratio of school nurses to school clusters is reached.

Ivan Lewis: Information on redundancies of school nurses and school health assistants is not collected centrally.
	The Department, along with the Department for Education and Skills, is continuing to ensure that the profile of school nurses remains high nationally.
	Ministers and the chief nursing officer continue to communicate the importance of school nurses to the national health service, and work with professional bodies to promote their modern role.

Southampton Independent Sector Treatment Centre

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the contract for the proposed Southampton Independent sector treatment centre to be signed.

Ivan Lewis: The contract is still in negotiation. Financial close is scheduled for May 2007.

Substance Misuse: Training

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training on substance misuse is provided to  (a) social workers and  (b) midwives.

Ivan Lewis: For health and social care professionals, it is the responsibility of the appropriate regulatory bodies to set standards for the pre-registration training of doctors, nurses, social workers and other health care professionals and approve the education institutions that provide the training and determine the curricula.
	Post-registration training needs for national health service staff are determined against local NHS priorities, through appraisal processes and training needs analyses informed by local delivery plans and the needs of the service. The post-qualification framework for social workers has been reviewed by the General Social Care Council and new arrangements for post qualification awards will come into force in September 2007.
	For health and social care workers, national occupational standards set out the skills, knowledge and values required and are used as benchmarks for national vocational qualifications. Joint health and social care national occupational standards contain specific standards on dealing with substance abuse.
	It is the responsibility of social care service providers and NHS trusts to ensure that their employees are suitably qualified and competent.

Waiting Times

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was  (a) between written referral from a general practitioner to the first out-patient appointment with a pain management consultant and  (b) for patients waiting for elective admission where the main specialty is pain management in (i) England and (ii) each primary care trust in each of the last five years.

Andy Burnham: The information has been placed in the Library.
	The average waiting time figures for England are shown in table 1. From April 2004, pain management was no longer a specialty in its own right, and activity will now be contained in the anaesthetic specialty.
	The numbers at primary care trust level are too small to calculate an average wait accurately. Tables 2 to 9 show the numbers waiting by number of weeks waiting by PCT by year for the pain management and anaesthetics specialties.

Waltham Forest Primary Care Trust

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps Waltham Forest primary care trust has taken to minimise the level of emergency admissions to Whipps Cross hospital; and what average daily admissions were  (a) before and  (b) after the implementation of such measures.

Ivan Lewis: This is a matter for Waltham Forest primary care trust. However, I am advised by NHS London that some of the measures introduced by the PCT include appointing community nurses to work closely with district nurses to target frequent accident and emergency visitors; using new software to identify patients at high risk of re-admission, increasing the number of clinicians in A & E; working with social services to ensure people have appropriate care and introducing health visitors to offer proactive care to people who visit A & E.
	The figures requested are not held centrally.

Willesden Community Hospital

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the future of Willesden Community hospital.

Ivan Lewis: This is a matter for the local NHS.

Work Absence: Gastric Complaints

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department has assessed the effects of gastric complaints on absence from work.

Ivan Lewis: The Department continues to monitor sickness absence generally but not specifically gastric complaints.

York Hospitals NHS Trust

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much capital expenditure York hospitals NHS trust incurred in 2005-06 for  (a) software licences,  (b) buildings,  (c) assets under construction,  (d) plant and machinery,  (e) transport equipment and  (f) information technology; and what the total capital expenditure by the trust was in that year.

Andy Burnham: Capital expenditure by York hospitals NHS trust in 2005-06 has been set out in the following table.
	
		
			   £000 
			 Software licences 260 
			 Buildings excluding dwellings 11,058 
			 Dwellings 80 
			 Assets under construction 1,311 
			 Plant and machinery 1,923 
			 Transport equipment 0 
			 Information technology 137 
			 Total capital expenditure 14,769 
			  Source: Audited summarisation schedules of the York hospitals NHS trust 2005-06

York Hospitals NHS Trust

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the end-of-year revenue expenditure of York hospitals NHS trust was, excluding expenditure on services subsequently transferred to the primary care trust, in each year since 1992,  (a) in cash terms and  (b) at current prices.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is shown in the table for York hospitals NHS trust for 1998-99 to 2005-06, which are the earliest and latest years for which this information is available.
	Figures given are for the total operating expenses of the trust in each year. It is not possible to provide figures excluding expenditure on services subsequently transferred to the primary care trust as this expenditure cannot be identified from the submitted returns.
	
		
			  £000 
			   Cash terms  Real terms 
			 1998-99 105,193 123,841 
			 1999-2000 120,568 139,128 
			 2000-01 128,130 145,803 
			 2001-02 125,733 139,758 
			 2002-03 120,797 130,242 
			 2003-04 135,174 141,535 
			 2004-05 155,526 158,477 
			 2005-06 168,825 168,825 
			  Source: Audited summarisation schedules of the York hospitals NHS trust 1998-99 to 2005-06. Treasury GDP deflator used to provide the real terms figures with 2005-06 as the baseline

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Advertising

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what supplements on children's issues have been published in the Guardian newspaper at the request of his Department in each of the last five years; and at what cost to the public purse.

Beverley Hughes: In 2006 the Department paid the Guardian newspaper £90,000 to run supplements in Education and Society Guardian as part of its umbrella communications strategy to support the integration of children's services.

Allergies

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to protect pupils with nut or seed allergies who buy snacks from school tuck shops and vending machines.

Jim Knight: The decision to provide products containing nuts and the sale of nuts in vending machines is a matter for local decision making. This approach is endorsed by the School Food Trust, who have issued guidance, and the Food Standards Agency, who are working with the National Governors' Association to update their guidance to governors "Food Policy in Schools—A Strategic Framework for School Governors".

Citizenship

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of high schools include citizenship as part of the curriculum.

Jim Knight: Citizenship is a statutory part of the national curriculum at key stages 3 and 4 for all secondary schools. It is for schools to decide how they deliver the statutory programmes of study for citizenship. Schools can consider a number of ways of providing citizenship which may include a combination of discrete provision, explicit opportunities in a range of other subjects, whole school and suspended timetable activities and pupils' involvement in the life of the school and the wider community.

College Fires

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many fires there have been in  (a) further education colleges and  (b) higher education institutions in each region in the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: holding answer 30 November 2006
	I have been asked to reply.
	The available information covers fires attended by fire and rescue services occurring in further education establishments, these include the full range of colleges, institutions and universities.
	
		
			  Fires in further education establishments 1996-2005 
			  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 (1)2005 
			 England 494 474 452 478 406 467 367 409 438 422 
			
			 North West 79 54 65 58 54 68 79 83 102 91 
			 North East 54 24 53 48 44 29 24 36 31 27 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 71 55 27 39 41 33 20 36 42 34 
			 West Midlands 60 76 80 76 56 69 53 54 51 55 
			 East Midlands 20 52 17 52 26 36 27 28 38 33 
			 East of England 36 29 32 49 29 59 44 44 13 44 
			 South East 60 80 73 69 90 51 57 38 78 59 
			 South West 41 41 36 41 26 45 26 26 31 32 
			 London 73 63 69 46 40 77 37 64 52 47 
			 (1)Provisional  Notes: 1. Excludes fires during periods of industrial action in 2002 and 2003. 2. Figures for 1996-2004 are based on sampled data grossed to fire and rescue service totals.  Source: Fire and rescue service returns to the Department for Communities and Local Government

Creationism

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if his Department will ban the teaching of creationism in science as a scientific theory;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that creationism is presented as a religious rather than scientific theory.

Jim Knight: To meet the requirements of the national curriculum for science, teachers have to teach about scientific theories. Creationism is not a recognised scientific theory; therefore, it is not included in the science curriculum.
	The science programme of study sets out the legal requirements of the national curriculum. It clearly states that pupils should be taught: how uncertainties in scientific knowledge and scientific ideas change over time; the role of the scientific community in validating these changes; that variation within species can lead to evolutionary changes; and, similarities and differences between species can be measured and classified.
	Creationism can be explored in religious education as part of developing an understanding of different beliefs. It is up to the local SACREs (Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education) to set the syllabus for how this should be done.
	The Department is currently working with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to communicate this message to schools.

Exam Results

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of pupils in England achieved 5 A*-C grades at GCSE excluding  (a) equivalents and  (b) Applied GCSE Double Awards in the last year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: Provisional 2006 figures show that51.9 per cent. of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4(1) achieved five or more A*-C grades at GCSE only.53.9 per cent. of the same pupils achieved five or more A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalents excluding Vocational GCSE Double Awards.
	(1) Pupils in Key Stage 4 in the 2005/06 academic year.

Exam Subjects

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which  (a) AS/Level and  (b) A1 Level subject saw the (i) smallest and (ii) largest intake of students in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: Figures supplied by the Joint Council for Qualifications show that, in each of the last five years (2002 to 2006), the greatest number of GCE A and AS level entries in the United Kingdom have been in English and the fewest number of entries have been in Irish.

Foundation Degree Courses

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost is to the public purse of the completion of a foundation degree, broken down by subject.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is shown in the table.
	The Higher Education Funding Council for England have stated that the average recurrent teaching grant for foundation degrees assuming completion in two years full-time (or two years full-time equivalent part-time) at 2006-07 prices is as follows.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Subject type  Full-time  Part-time 
			 Laboratory based science and engineering 12,023 12,186 
			 Other high cost subjects with a laboratory, studio or field work element 8,679 9,099 
			 Classroom based subjects 6,199 6,872

Free School Meals

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of pupils in the Stoke Central constituency received free school meals in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: The available information is shown in the tables.
	
		
			  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 1) : school meal arrangements, position in January each year 2004 to 2006, Stoke Central constituency 
			   All pupils( 2) 
			   Number on roll  Number of pupils taking free school meals( 3)  Percentage taking free school meals  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 2004 6,625 1,590 24.0 1,882 28.4 
			 2005 6,503 1,444 22.2 1,765 27.1 
			 2006 6,538 1,491 22.8 1,679 25.7 
		
	
	
		
			  Maintained secondary schools( 1) : school meal arrangements, position in January each year 2004 to 2006, Stoke Central constituency 
			   All pupils( 2) 
			   Number on roll  Number of pupils taking free school meals( 3)  Percentage taking free school meals  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 2004 3,213 734 22.8 806 25.1 
			 2005 3,212 609 19.0 750 23.3 
			 2006 3,130 375 12.0 703 22.5 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes boarders and dually registered pupils. (3) Number of pupils who took a free school meal on the day of the census in January.

Free School Meals

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in  (a) Oxfordshire and  (b) Wantage constituency received free school meals in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The available information is shown in the tables.
	
		
			  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 1) : school meal arrangements 1997 to 2006 position in January each year Oxfordshire local authority and Wantage parliamentary constituency 
			   Oxfordshire local authority 
			   Number on roll( 1,2)  Number of pupils taking free school meals( 3)  Percentage taking free school meals  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 1997 45,747 4,045 8.8 5,048 11.0 
			 1998 46,017 3,596 7.8 4,490 9.8 
			 1999 46,428 3,257 7.0 4,406 9.5 
			 2000 46,302 3,167 6.8 4,363 9.4 
			 2001 45,994 2,973 6.5 4,210 9.2 
			 2002 45,309 2,808 6.2 3,943 8.7 
			 2003 45,943 2,861 6.2 4,012 8.7 
			 2004 46,518 3,129 6.7 4,615 9.9 
			 2005 47,313 2,805 5.9 4,599 9.7 
			 2006 47,079 3,127 6.6 4,194 8.9 
		
	
	
		
			   Wantage parliamentary constituency 
			   Number on roll( 1,2)  Number of pupils taking free school meals( 3)  Percentage taking free school meals  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 1997 7,692 598 7.8 702 9.1 
			 1998 7,889 510 6.5 638 8.1 
			 1999 7,935 488 6.1 634 8.0 
			 2000 8,056 487 6.0 628 7.8 
			 2001 8,218 458 5.6 627 7.6 
			 2002 8,272 441 5.3 591 7.1 
			 2003 8,130 434 5.3 581 7.1 
			 2004 7,972 465 5.8 630 7.9 
			 2005 8,215 436 5.3 619 7.5 
			 2006 8,210 418 5.1 587 7.1 
			 (1) 1997 to 2002 includes dually registered pupils and excludes boarding pupils. (2 )From 2003 includes dually registered pupils and boarding pupils. (3 )Number of pupils who took a free school meal on the day of the census in January. 
		
	
	
		
			  Maintained secondary schools( 1) : school meal arrangements 1997 to 2006 position in January each year Oxfordshire local authority and Wantage parliamentary constituency 
			   Oxfordshire local authority 
			   Number on roll( 1,2)  Number of pupils taking free school meals( 3)  Percentage taking free school meals  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 1997 36,456 2,375 6.5 3,381 9.3 
			 1998 36,922 2,215 6.0 3,325 9.0 
			 1999 37,165 2,178 5.9 3,296 8.9 
			 2000 37,609 2,257 6.0 3,477 9.2 
			 2001 38,271 2,207 5.8 3,641 9.5 
			 2002 38,892 2,436 6.3 3,433 8.8 
			 2003 38,603 2,105 5.5 3,308 8.6 
			 2004 38,105 2,042 5.4 3,029 7.9 
			 2005 37,940 1,898 5.0 3,050 8.0 
			 2006 37,790 2,084 5.5 2,866 7.6 
		
	
	
		
			   Wantage parliamentary constituency 
			   Number on roll( 1,2)  Number of pupils taking free school meals( 3)  Percentage taking free school meals  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 1997 5,452 264 4.8 361 6.6 
			 1998 5,567 244 4.4 428 7.7 
			 1999 5,678 237 4.2 358 6.3 
			 2000 5,799 235 4.1 372 6.4 
			 2001 5,891 225 3.8 374 6.3 
			 2002 6,056 247 4.1 392 6.5 
			 2003 6,185 241 3.9 379 6.1 
			 2004 6,308 268 4.2 396 6.3 
			 2005 6,333 279 4.4 437 6.9 
			 2006 6,356 301 4.7 423 6.7 
			 (1) 1997 to 2002 includes dually registered pupils and excludes boarding pupils. (2 )From 2003 includes dually registered pupils and boarding pupils. (3 )Number of pupils who took a free school meal on the day of the census in January.

Graduate Teacher Programme

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people on the Graduate Teacher Programme are below the age of 25.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of first-year trainees commencing the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) in the academic year 2004/05 and 2005/06 together with a breakdown of those aged under 25.
	
		
			  GTP First-year Trainees 
			   2004/05  2005/06 
			 Under 25 1,290 1,420 
			 25 plus 4,060 3,990 
			 Percentage of under 25 24 26 
			  Notes: 1. GTP is an employment-based route. 2. Figures are individually rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: The TDA employment-based data management system (EBRDMS).

Graduate Teacher Programme

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students took part in  (a) the Graduate Teacher Programme and  (b) the Post Graduate Certificate of Education in the last year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of first-year trainees commencing the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) in the academic years 2004/05 and 2005/06; and the number of first-year trainees commencing a mainstream postgraduate programme in 2004/05. Information for the postgraduate programme for 2005/06 is not yet available. The mainstream data include all first-year trainees on a postgraduate programme leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Not all of these programmes will include the award of PGCE and we do not collect information about the PGCE status of the programme.
	
		
			  First-year Trainees Commencing Postgraduate Initial Teacher Training in England 
			   2004/05  2005/06 
			 GTP 5,360 5,410 
			 Mainstream PG 24,930 n/a 
			 Total 30,290 n/a 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for mainstream PG include universities and other HE institutions, SCITT and OU, but exclude employment-based routes. 2. GTP is an employment-based route. 3. Figures are individually rounded to the nearest10 and may not sum.  Source: The TDA employment-based data management system (EBRDMS) and the performance profiles.

Higher Education Funding Council

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of the Higher Education Funding Council for England's annual budget was spent on the provision of foundation degrees in each year since the introduction of that qualification.

Bill Rammell: Figures are only available for the last three years from the Higher Education Funding Council for England and are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Percentage  Percentage  £ million 
			   As proportion of mainstream T funding  As proportion of total HEFCE grant  HEFCE mainstream T funding for FDs 
			 2004-05 3.1 1.9 111 
			 2005-06 4.3 2.5 157 
			 2006-07 5.0 2.9 193

International GCSE

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the  (a) Office for Standards in Education and  (b) Qualifications and Curriculum Authority recognises the International GCSE as an acceptable substitute for a GCSE for the purposes of recruitment.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM chief inspector Christine Gilbert has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Library.
	The policy of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is to recruit people with the experience and skills most suited to the needs of each post, and any relevant qualifications may be taken into consideration.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 7 December 2006:
	PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION NUMBER 104280: INTERNATIONAL GCSE
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
	You asked whether the Office for Standards in Education recognises the International GCSE as an acceptable substitute for a GCSE for the purposes of recruitment.
	I am advised that Ofsted does not specify GCSE qualifications as a prerequisite for recruitment purposes. Through our recruitment process, potential candidates are asked to demonstrate that they have the required competencies for the advertised role through a statement of suitability and the formal interview process. Some of our roles do require professional qualifications and some of our inspector vacancies are advertised as requiring a degree.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Lord Adonis, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Local Government

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what targets his Department sets for local authorities.

Jim Knight: Local authorities are currently required under legislation to set 16 targets relating to educational performance, and for 2008 onwards, two on early years outcomes. The recent Local Government White Paper announced that, as a key component of the new local authority performance system, Local Area Agreements would include no more than 35 targets across all areas of delivery, plus the statutory early years and attainment targets, determined in the light of performance against a new national indicator set.

New Secondary Schools

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average cost is of building a new secondary school.

Jim Knight: The Department does not hold average costs of schools. Schools are designed and procured locally. However, a 1,000 pupil secondary school on a site without particular problems, in an area of average building prices, would typically be in the range of £18-22 million. This excludes the cost of site acquisition. Many sites have circumstances that can add considerably to costs. Building prices vary significantly from one region to another.

Nursery Places: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many nursery places there were in York in each year since 1992.

Beverley Hughes: The available information on the number of part-time funded places filled by three and four-year-olds in York local authority area is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of part-time funded places( 1,2)  filled by three and four-year-olds Local authority: York Position in January each year 
			   Part-time funded places filled by 3-year-olds  Part-time funded places filled by 4-year-olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total 3-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total 4-year-olds 
			 1997 680 (5)— 680 (5)— (5)— (6)1,900 
			 1998 750 (5)— 750 (5)— (5)— (6)1,800 
			 1999 810 (5)— 810 (5)— (5)— (6)1,900 
			 2000 790 (7)0 800 (5)— (5)— (6)2,000 
			 2001 700 (7)920 1,600 (5)— (5)— (6)1,800 
			 2002 690 (7)950 1,600 1,500 (6)390 1,900 
			 2003 640 (7)980 1,600 1,500 (8)380 1,900 
			 2004 660 (9)900 1,600 1,500 (10)340 1,800 
			 2005 700 (9)940 1,600 1,400 (10)380 1,700 
			 2006 630 (9)1,000 1,700 1,400 (10)420 1,900 
			 (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate. (3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census. (4 )Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census. (5 )Not available. (6 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (7 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (8 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the Annual Schools' Census. (9 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census. (10 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.  Note: Nursery Education Grant funding for early years places was introduced in 1996-97 for four-year-olds and in 1999-2000 for three-year-olds, therefore, data is not available prior to 1997. 
		
	
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 32/2006 "Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2006 (final)" in August, which is available on my Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.

Ofsted Inspections

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills who is responsible for establishing whether individual inspections by Ofsted meet the required standards.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Library.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 1 December 2006:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
	You asked who is responsible for establishing whether individual inspections by Ofsted meet the required standards.
	Ultimately, I have the responsibility for establishing that individual inspections by Ofsted meet the required standards. In practice, responsibility for the quality assurance of inspections and reports is discharged at a number of different levels. The first level of responsibility rests with the lead inspector who should ensure that the inspection is carried out in accordance with Ofsted's code of conduct and the relevant framework and guidance. In the case of maintained and independent schools, our National and Regional Inspection Services Providers are required to ensure that the inspectors they employ conduct inspections that are of the standard required by Ofsted. Her Majesty's Inspectors (HMI) visit a proportion of inspections to check that they are of the required standard.
	The lead inspector is responsible for producing an inspection report that is accurate and fair. Each report is read and its quality assessed. In the case of reports on inspections of maintained and independent schools, quality reading is undertaken by the relevant Regional or National Inspection Services Provider, but all reports must then be signed off by HMI on behalf of HMCI before publication. Reports on initial teacher training providers and local authority services are read and checked by HMI. I personally sign off all reports where a school is placed into special measures.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools, and will be placed in the Library of both Houses.

Omega 3 Supplements

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects on educational performance of recent pilots of schools giving pupils omega 3 supplements.

Jim Knight: The Food Standards Agency comments as follows: "On 6 July 2006, the Food Standards Agency published the findings of a systematic review of research, which looked at the effect of nutrition and diet on performance and behaviour of children in schools. The review concluded that there was insufficient evidence to reach a firm conclusion on the effect of diet and the education or learning of the general population. The Food Standards Agency's recommendation, therefore, continues to be that we should eat at least two portions of fish a week, including one of oily fish, as part of a healthy balanced diet."
	The new nutrition standards implemented from September 2006 will help to encourage children to meet the Food Standards Agency's recommendation, by stipulating regular inclusion of oily fish in school menus.

School Property Theft

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the 10 largest thefts of school property from school premises in terms of financial loss to the school were in the last three years.

Jim Knight: The Department does not keep records of thefts and most local education authorities fund theft losses from internal budgets. School insurers estimate that the largest theft losses are in the region of £15,000 to £30,000.

School Trusts

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what individuals, companies or organisations have expressed an interest in setting up a school trust since the Education and Inspections Act 2006 was implemented.

Jim Knight: The provisions of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 that relate to trust proposals have not yet been commenced. They are due to come into force in early summer 2007 alongside regulations that will implement these provisions.
	The Department has discussed trust schools with a wide range of organisations. We do not hold a comprehensive list of every organisation that has expressed an interest.
	The following organisations or companies have been publicly named as actively working towards setting up a trust with a school or group of schools as part of the pathfinder programme: City of Bristol College, Co-operative Group, Co-operative College, Dorset Scope, Essex University, Exeter University, Laing O'Rourke, Microsoft, Prospects College, Trinity and All Saints HE College, Unilever, University of West of England, University of Wolverhampton and Westminster University. We will release information about further organisations once they have agreed to be involved with pathfinders (except in cases where release might prejudice discussions with stakeholders in the project).

Secondary Schools Admissions Guidelines

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what consultation has been undertaken with stakeholders to the Secondary School Admissions Guidelines for September 2008 on  (a) siblings and  (b) staff members' children; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Proposals for school admissions from September 2008 are contained in the draft School Admissions Code which was issued for full public consultation for 12 weeks between 8 September and1 December 2006. Prior to this, a skeleton version of the draft Code was shared with the Commons Committee considering the Education and Inspections Bill in April 2006 and was circulated to key stakeholders for comment.
	All responses to the consultation, including those on the siblings and children of staff proposals, are currently being analysed and considered. The outcome will be reflected in the final School Admissions Code which will be issued for parliamentary approval in the new year.

Sure Start Children's Centres

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the ability of Sure Start children's centres to engage with black and minority ethnic parents.

Beverley Hughes: We have learned a great deal from the National Evaluation of Sure Start (NESS)(1) on the engagement of black and minority ethnic groups. However, we do not routinely collect data at a national level on the participation of black and ethnic minority families in local Sure Start children's centres.
	Some Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs) have evaluated their services in relation to black and minority ethnic groups. In March 2006 NESS published a report which brought together information from these local evaluations. This report is available on the NESS website at the following address:
	http://www.ness.bbk.ac.uk/synthesis.asp.
	DfES will be publishing a further NESS report exploring the relationship between ethnicity and delivery, management, participation and receipt of services in SSLPs in spring 2007. A further report from a longitudinal study on the impact of SSLPs on children and families, including black and ethnic minority families, is due to be published early in 2008.
	On 30 November 2006 we issued guidance to local authorities on performance management arrangements that will help them evaluate the services that Sure Start children's centres provide and make sure that they are responsive to the most disadvantaged groups. The guidance identifies black and ethnic minority families as one of the priority groups. We also issued revised practice guidance for Sure Start children's centres which includes evidence of effective ways of engaging with those families who are at risk of social exclusion and information on methods that have been found to work with specific groups.
	(1) The National Evaluation of Sure Start (NESS) is a study of the effectiveness of Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs). SSLPs are early pioneers of the Sure Start children's centres approach. All SSLPs are now mainstreamed into the overarching children's centre programme.

Truth in Science

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance he issues to school science departments on the suitability of teaching materials from the organisation Truth in Science for the delivery of national curriculum science.

Jim Knight: The science programme of study sets out the legal requirements of the national curriculum. It clearly states that pupils should be taught: how uncertainties in scientific knowledge and scientific ideas change over time; the role of the scientific community in validating these changes; that variation within species can lead to evolutionary changes; and, similarities and differences between species can be measured and classified.
	Neither intelligent design nor creationism is a recognised scientific theory and they are not included in the science curriculum. The Truth in Science information pack is not therefore an appropriate resource to support the science curriculum.
	The Department is currently working with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to communicate this message to schools.

Truth in Science

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations his Department has received from Truth in Science Ltd. on the teaching of  (a) creationism and  (b) intelligent design in schools.

Jim Knight: The Secretary of State has received correspondence from Truth in Science Ltd. seeking clarification of the Department's view on the suitability of their teaching materials. Officials have responded that schools are under a duty to follow the science programme of study which sets out the legal requirements of the national curriculum. They have explained that the programme of study clearly states pupils should be taught: how uncertainties in scientific knowledge and scientific ideas change over time; the role of the scientific community in validating these changes; that variation within species can lead to evolutionary changes; and, similarities and differences between species can be measured and classified. The letter also states that neither intelligent design nor creationism is a recognised scientific theory and they are not included in the science curriculum. The Truth in Science information pack is therefore not an appropriate resource to support the science curriculum. The letter also mentioned that the Department is working with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) to ensure that schools are completely clear as to the reasons for this position.

Vocational Education

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what independent evaluation his Department has commissioned the cost of centres for vocational education.

Phil Hope: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council as they lead on the delivery of Centres for Vocational Excellence. Mark Haysom, Chief Executive of the Learning and Skills Council has written directly to the hon. Member with the information on evaluation of the cost of Centres for Vocational Excellence and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
	 Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 8 December 2006:
	Thank you for your query regarding the total funding of the CoVE programme and the number of learners affected by CoVE since its inception in Sept 2001.
	In response, please find attached a spreadsheet containing information answering your queries.
	Please note however:
	 Learner Numbers
	Learners are only counted if any of their programme was indicated as CoVE learning.
	Learner numbers are rounded to the nearest 100 learners.
	There is a known under-count of CoVE learners in 2002/03.
	Learner counts are by year—if a learner was enrolled on a 2 year program, that learner would be counted in each year.
	For 2001/02, recording of CoVE learners was not possible.
	Learner recording system does not include non LSC funded provision.
	 Financial Information
	Financial projections are accurate as of December 2006.
	Changes in status of CoVEs could delay payments across financial years.
	Removal/withdrawal of status will reduce the total cost of the programme.
	
		
			  Academic Year: Number of Learners Indicated as Being on CoVE Provision 
			   FE Learners  WBL Learners  Total 
			 2001/02 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2002/03 50,400 1,100 51,500 
			 2003/04 91,200 4,200 95,400 
			 2004/05 126,900 7,200 134,100 
			 2005/06 161,600 10,700 172,300 
			 Total 430,100 23,200 453,300 
			 (1) Not recorded.  Notes: 1. Learners are counted only if any of their programme was indicated as CoVE learning. 2. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 100 learners. 3. There is a known under-count of CoVE learners in 2002/03. 4. Learner counts are by year—if a learner was enrolled on a 2-year program, that learner would be counted in each year. 5. For 2001/02, recording of CoVE learners was not possible. 6. Learner recording system does not include non-LSC funded provision.  Source: Individualised Learner Records for 2002/03, 2003/04,2004/05 and 2005/06. 
		
	
	
		
			  Financial Year 
			  £ 
			   Revenue  Capital  Total 
			 2001-02 1,920,000 2,880,000 4,800,000 
			 2002-03 14,540,000 21,230,000 35,770,000 
			 2003-04 13,402,500 42,893,613 56,296,113 
			 2004-05 11,445,500 20,992,387 32,437,887 
			 2005-06 12,213,334 31,812,548 44,025,882 
			 2006-07 10,181,334 19,780,333 29,961,667 
			 2007-08 6,906,333 3,991,000 10,897,333 
			 2008-09 1,274,084 0 1,274,084 
			 Total 71,883,085 143,579,881 215,462,966 
			  Notes: 1. Financial projections are accurate as of December 2006. 2. Changes in status of CoVEs could delay payments across financial years. 3. Removal/withdrawal of status will reduce the total cost of the programme.

Youth Employment

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many white males aged  (a) 16 to 17 years and  (b) 18 years old are not in education, employment or training.

Bill Rammell: The number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) is measured using estimates from the Department's Statistical First Release "Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16 to 18 Year Olds in England". These estimates cannot be broken down by ethnic group.
	The Youth Cohort Study, which looks at young people's education and labour market experience, can be used to estimate the proportion of young people who are NEET by certain characteristics. The most recent YCS estimates are that 8 per cent. of white males were NEET at academic age 16 in 2004 and that 12 per cent. of white males were NEET at academic age 18 in 2006. YCS cannot be used to estimate the actual number of young people NEET.
	Connexions services have recently begun reporting information on young people NEET by age, gender and ethnic background, and this is expected to be complete by April 2007.

DEFENCE

Operational Bonus

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with Treasury Ministers on the potential effect of tax credit regulations on the operational bonus.

Des Browne: The new tax free operational allowance announced to the House on 10 October was designed to ensure that people's tax credits would not be affected and they would get the full benefit of the new allowance—I am confident that this has been achieved. The first payments were made in November and some 19,000 personnel have now received the operational allowance.

Operational Bonus

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with Treasury Ministers on ensuring that the operational bonus is not affected by tax credit regulations.

Des Browne: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Siobhain McDonagh).

Iraq

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent reports he has received from the Chiefs of Staff on the security situation in Iraq.

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent reports he has received from the Chiefs of Staff on the security situation in Iraq.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Members for Billericay (Mr. Baron) and Gainsborough (Mr. Leigh).

Iraq

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the security situation in Iraq.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Billericay (Mr. Baron).

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of the  (a) security and  (b) non-security element of the Basra equivalent of the Baghdad Security Plan; whether security personnel will carry out the non-security element of the plan; how many Iraqi civilian jobs will be created as a result of the plan; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: No estimate has been made of the security costs of Op. Sinbad as this role is conducted by deployed military resources with no additional cost incurred.
	The UK has allocated some £2 million for quick impact projects and some $60 million of US administered Commanders Emergency Response Programme funds has been allocated for the non-security element of Op. Sinbad and further development activities in Basra. To date, some 7,080 locally employed civilians have been employed in support of the non security element of Op. Sinbad. We are not able to estimate how many Iraqi civilian jobs will be created as a result of Op. Sinbad but we would expect our efforts to stimulate the local economy thereby creating significant opportunities for local Baswaris, particularly over the medium to long-term.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role UK forces were asked to undertake as a contribution to the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration process in tackling armed militia groups in Iraq; what tasks UK armed forces have undertaken to this end; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: UK forces have not been asked specifically to undertake any role as a contribution to Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration. Nevertheless UK forces are working, in concert with Iraqi Security Forces, to generate a security situation in which Prime Minister Maliki's Reconciliation initiative can progress and develop.

Troop Transportation

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the arrangements in place for transporting troops by air to and from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Adam Ingram: The movement of troops into and out of both Iraq and Afghanistan is generally working well. This was recently demonstrated during successive reliefs in place for forces in both theatres. We continuously monitor the performance of the airbridge and take steps to minimise any disruption when necessary and possible.

Afghanistan

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the contribution of British armed forces to security and stability in Afghanistan.

Des Browne: Our armed forces are making a substantial contribution to bringing security and stability to Afghanistan, helping the democratically-elected Government of Afghanistan to extend its authority across the entire country.

Aircraft Carriers

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress has been made in acquiring additional aircraft carriers.

Adam Ingram: Our plans to acquire two new Future Aircraft Carriers are progressing well, following the move into the Demonstration Phase announced on14 December last year. This Phase will deliver a mature design, provide more detailed cost definition, reduce risk and produce a contractual framework that will allow a decision to be made to commit to manufacture.

Accounting Requirements

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial information is produced by management groupings, which, under the Simplify and Improve initiative, are not required to produce annual accounting statements.

Adam Ingram: Management groupings which no longer complete annual financial accounting statements as part of the process of producing the MOD's Annual Report and Accounts, continue to produce the management accounting information needed for local and departmental financial management purposes. They continue to record and forecast costs as part of the Department's in-year management processes, and to use detailed financial data, as appropriate, for local decision-making. In addition, where these management groupings have agency status, they continue to produce annual accounts in accordance with the accounts directions issued by HM Treasury.

Aircraft

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the fitting of anticipators to rotary aircraft.

Adam Ingram: MOD's policy states that rotary wing engine governing systems must control rotor speed effectively through all stages of flight. To meet this policy, engine governing systems may include anticipators where appropriate.

Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has received any proposals from Boeing on restoring to operational use the eight HC3 Chinook helicopters.

Adam Ingram: Yes.

Armed Forces: Casualty Reporting

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department takes to make publicly available information on the number of British  (a) casualties and  (b) fatalities incurred in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan since the commencement of operations.

Adam Ingram: The MOD is committed to openly publishing statistics on the number of service casualties on operations. Information on casualties and fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan is published on the MOD website:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/OperationsFactsheets
	Data are published for Iraq since the commencement of operations in March 2003 and for Afghanistan since 1 January 2006. Work is ongoing to ascertain whether casualty data for Afghanistan pre-2006 are sufficiently robust to enable figures to be published in the same format as for Iraq; I will write to inform the hon. Member when this work is complete. Casualty data on the MOD website are updated on a two weekly basis, two weeks in arrears.
	Details of fatalities are released to the media following an incident and updates are made to the website above, which has lists of UK military fatalities from both theatres.

Armoured Vehicles

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Challenger main battle tanks and Warrior armoured fighting vehicles are  (a) available to the Army and  (b) deployed on operations.

Adam Ingram: There are currently 345 Challenger 2 main battle tanks and 794 Warrior armoured fighting vehicles (all variants) available to the Army. Of these 276 Challenger 2 tanks and 687 Warrior armoured fighting vehicles are in service and therefore either currently deployed or available for immediate deployment. 'In service' is defined as equipment that is not in deep maintenance, repair, storage or training.
	I am withholding information regarding the number of Challenger 2 main battle tanks and Warrior armoured fighting vehicles deployed on operations as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice operational security and could place our servicemen and women in danger of potential harm.

Armoured Vehicles

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the main investment decision for the future Rapid Effect System has been made; and when the British Army will be given the opportunity to trial the new vehicle.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 29 November 2006
	The Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) is currently in its initial assessment phase, so the main investment decision has not yet been taken. The programme is moving forward with evaluation of options in close dialogue with industry. On current plans a series of trials will be run in 2007 to assess the current performance of candidate utility vehicles and their potential to meet our requirements.

Biofuels: Military Bases

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether steps are being taken to utilise used cooking and fuel oils from military bases for recycling as an ingredient in biofuels;
	(2)  what arrangements are in place for  (a) the (i) safe and (ii) environmentally sustainable disposal of cooking and fuel oils and  (b) the reuse of cooking and fuel oils from military bases.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 7 December 2006
	The MOD's Disposal Services Agency and the Defence Fuels Group are currently investigating the possibility of recycling used cooking oils as bio-diesel. Fuel oils are sold on for use as marine diesel, for use in the domestic heating market or for use as incinerator fuel.
	Individual units dispose of cooking and fuel oils locally, commonly through multi-activity contracts. All contractors must comply with environmental legislation governing the transport and disposal of used oils.

Cluster Munitions

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the use of cluster munitions.

Adam Ingram: Cluster munitions are lawful weapons that provide a unique capability against certain types of legitimate military targets. When used by the UK armed forces, they are employed in a manner consistent with our obligations under international humanitarian law.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement on 4 December,  Official Report, columns 1-2WS, by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East, (Dr. Howells).

Iraq: Troop Withdrawal

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will submit for the approval of both Houses of Parliament any plans for troop withdrawal from Iraq before those plans are implemented; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: I will inform Parliament of plans for any adjustments to UK troop levels as on previous occasions. Hon. Members will, as usual, have the opportunity to ask questions or seek clarification following any statement.

Non-lethal Operations

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what types of non-lethal spray weapons are carried by military personnel during operations.

Des Browne: Non-lethal spray weapons are not routinely carried by British forces during operations.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to review its contribution to nuclear arms reduction under Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Des Browne: holding answer 7 December 2006
	The United Kingdom takes its disarmament obligations under the NPT very seriously and has an excellent record in this area. Over the past decade we have: reduced significantly the maximum number of operationally available warheads; ceased production of fissile material for nuclear weapons; completed the withdrawal of our maritime tactical nuclear capability and the RAF's WE177 freefall bomb, with the result that we are the only nuclear weapon state to have reduced its nuclear deterrent capacity to a single system, which is based on the Trident D5 missile. We continue to press for multilateral negotiations towards mutual, balanced and verifiable reductions in nuclear weapons. Our current priority is to push for negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty, without pre-conditions, at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. We also announced on4 December this year that we will make a further 20 per cent. cut in the maximum number of operationally available warheads to fewer than 160.

Nuclear Submarines

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of adopting existing submarine-launched cruise missiles to carry nuclear warheads;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the potential  (a) advantages and  (b) disadvantages of a nuclear deterrent of nuclear cruise missiles carried on submarines.

Des Browne: The White Paper (CM 6994) on the future of the UK's nuclear deterrent published on4 December set out (at paragraph 5-3 and 5-4, Box 5-1 and Annex B, paragraph 6) our assessment of the effectiveness of a nuclear deterrent based on cruise missiles. We concluded that, in terms of both cost and capability, retaining the Trident D5 ballistic missile is by far the best approach.

Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Predator unmanned aerial vehicles his Department expects to purchase in the next 12 months; what the cost of these will be; and when they are expected to come into service.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 4 December 2006
	We intend to procure two American Predator B unmanned air vehicles which are expected to come into service during late 2007. The total acquisition cost will be in the region of $80 million. Definitive costs will not be known until the US Air Force has formally replied to our request.

QinetiQ

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many goats have died as a result of experiments at QinetiQ Alverstoke in each year since 2000.

Adam Ingram: The number of goats that have died during the experiments and have been humanely killed following exposure to experiments at QinetiQ Alverstoke in each year since 2000 are detailed in the following table. The number of procedures in each year is also presented.
	
		
			   Number of goats that died during an experiment  Number of goats humanely killed following exposure to experiments  Number of procedures 
			 2006(1) 0 8 57 
			 2005 0 20 64 
			 2004 0 0 27 
			 2003 2 16 75 
			 2002 2 5 50 
			 2001 0 20 53 
			 (1) Year to 31 October 2006

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what progress has been made in settling the level of pay for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in its 2006 pay review process;
	(2)  why the 2006 pay review for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary was not carried out in July 2006;
	(3)  what the projected date is for the completion of the 2006 pay review for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

Derek Twigg: In line with the Government's policy on controlling public sector pay, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) pay submission has been subject to close scrutiny by the Ministry of Defence and HM Treasury. This has taken some time to complete; but the RFA pay remit has now been received from the Treasury, and a meeting is to be held with the Maritime Trade Unions on 12 December to begin formal pay negotiations. There is no projected date yet for the completion of these negotiations or of the pay review.

Service Personnel: Welfare

Barbara Follett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to improve the welfare package for injured service personnel.

Derek Twigg: I have taken your question to mean service personnel injured while on operations.
	Among many measures in hand, we recently announced, at Selly Oak, additional allowances for service in-patients, including incidental expenditure allowance worth up to £10 per day and separated service allowances worth up to £12 per day. All hospitalised operational casualties wounded in one of the three qualifying theatres will continue to receive the new tax-free operational allowance.
	Travel and subsistence payments have been extended to the wider families of hospitalised service personnel and we have also extended home units' eligibility to claim families' support money to include the duration that an operational casualty is an in-patient.
	Paid acting rank will be retained for the duration of time spent as an in-patient, on a case-by-case basis, where an operational casualty has been granted such rank for an operation.
	We have provided broadband internet connections in Alexandra Wing, Royal College of Defence Medicine (RCDM) and included service in-patients in the operational welfare package Christmas free postal packet scheme.
	Alexandra Wing at the RCDM in Birmingham has undergone a £50,000 refurbishment, and a three-bedroom hospital campus welfare flat is now available for use by families with children.
	Operational Christmas boxes will be distributed by the Defence Medical Welfare Service to all service in-patients hospitalised over Christmas.

Submarines

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what proportion of the world's oceans submarines are undetectable from space.

Des Browne: holding answer 30 November 2006
	While all ocean-going vessels, including submarines, operating on the surface of the water can theoretically be detected from space, it may be assumed that a submarine operating under the surface in any of the world's oceans is undetectable from space.

Trident

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will assess the suitability of the Trident weapons system as a deterrent during the rest of its serviceable lifetime; and whom and what Trident is intended to deter.

Des Browne: holding answer 7 December 2006
	I refer the hon. Member to the statement my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave on 4 December concerning the future of the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent and the White Paper published on the same day.

Trident

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the US has  (a) power of veto and  (b) technological veto over the launch of the Trident nuclear deterrent.

Des Browne: No. The US has no veto over the launch of the UK's Trident missiles, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear in his statement on4 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 21-38.

Trident

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the proportion of the defence budget which would be accounted for by Trident's successor in each year of its development and operation.

Des Browne: Our initial estimates of the costs involved in sustaining our independent nuclear deterrent capability were set out in the White Paper: 'The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent' (Cm 6994), published on 4 December.

Troop Secondments

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts at the United Nations on human rights training for troops seconded to UN missions.

Des Browne: Defence Ministers have had no discussions with the UN about human rights training for troops seconded to UN missions. All UK troops are trained as appropriate in the law of armed conflict and receive specific training before an operational deployment, including those in support of the UN.

UK Sourced Food

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of food bought by the armed forces in the last 12 months was produced in the UK.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 6 December 2006
	The MOD's food supply contract was re-let in June this year. The transition between contractors means that information on the proportionate volume from particular countries of origin is not available without incurring disproportionate cost.
	There are however, over 1,200 different products currently procured by the food supply contractor for the UK armed forces; over 800 of these are British. The remaining 400 include products such as fresh fruit and vegetables which are sourced from various countries on a seasonal basis, and others that are not produced in this country, such as coffee and bananas.

UK Sourced Food

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to encourage the procurers of food supplies for the armed forces to purchase British produce.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 6 December 2006
	The MOD has a single global food supply contract with Purple Foodservice Solutions under which the contractor is responsible for supplying food to the armed forces both in the UK and on operations worldwide. In accordance with the MOD's procurement policy the contractor is encouraged to purchase British produce whenever it is competitive and consistent with meeting the quality standards. The MOD is currently working with DEFRA and industry to maximise the competitiveness of British produce.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Bellwin Schemes

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make the Bellwin scheme of emergency financial assistance to local authorities applicable to terrorist incidents.

Phil Woolas: Section 155 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 gives the Government powers to make a contribution to costs incurred by a local authority in taking immediate action to safeguard life or property or to prevent severe inconvenience following an emergency or disaster. Each case has to be considered on its merits but, in the past, it has not been deemed appropriate to apply the Bellwin scheme to terrorist incidents.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the parish councils proposed for London will be able to levy a parish precept on council tax.

Phil Woolas: As in other areas, it will be up to local people in London to decide if they want a parish council set up in their area. Parish councils in London will be able to levy a precept in the same way as other town and parish councils.

Council Tax

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Eastbourne borough council raised in council tax in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Woolas: The council tax received by Eastbourne borough council in each of the last 10 years is shown in the following table. The figures shown for each year include both arrears received for previous years and prepayment of council tax for subsequent years.
	
		
			   £000 
			 1996-97 17,175 
			 1997-98 18,692 
			 1998-99 20,275 
			 1999-2000 22,034 
			 2000-01 23,694 
			 2001-02 27,640 
			 2002-03 28,675 
			 2003-04 34,439 
			 2004-05 37,163 
			 2005-06 40,362 
		
	
	The data are as reported on QRC4 forms submitted by all billing authorities to the Department for Communities and Local Government each year.

Council Tax

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many summonses were issued by each local authority in England for non-payment of council tax in 2004-05; what percentage change there was in each figure since 1999-2000; and what percentage the number of summonses in 2004-05 represented of all council tax payers in each case.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 23 November 2006,  Official Report, column 212W to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws).

Departmental Projects

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the forward work programme is for the  (a) communities and equalities and  (b) tackling disadvantage programme directives.

Phil Woolas: Programme Executives have been established within Communities and Local Government to give strategic leadership to cross-cutting work and drive the delivery of critical projects and programmes.
	The Communities Programme Executive aims to ensure that local communities have the powers they need to respond to challenging economic, social and cultural trends, and to create cohesive, thriving, sustainable communities capable of both fulfilling their own potential and overcoming difficulties. The Equalities Programme executive seeks to lead in the delivery of the Government's policies for equality across the UK, and mainstream equality within the Department.
	Progress against our objectives in these areas will be set out in our annual report to Parliament in the usual way.

Departmental Staff

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) marketing,  (b) information,  (c) communications,  (d) public affairs and  (e) public relations staff the (i) Standards Board of England and (ii) Adjudication Panel employs.

Phil Woolas: The Standards Board's communications unit comprises nine staff who deal with all the matters listed to a varying degree. The Adjudication Panel does not employ dedicated staff on these matters.

Departmental Staff

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who her Department's Director General of Equalities is; and what the grade of the post is.

Angela Smith: The Department is currently in the process of appointing a Director General of Equalities. The grade of the post, when filled, will equate to what was previously referred to as Grade 2 level but is now referred to in the Department as Director General.

Digital Challenge Funds

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what percentage of digital challenge funds will be received by community and third sector organisations;
	(2)  what percentage of digital challenge funding will be made  (a) in kind from ICT companies to local authorities and  (b) in money; and what the value is in each case.

Phil Woolas: The 10 winning regional bidders have each been awarded £120,000 to develop their final proposal. It is for each regional bidder to determine the extent of their digital challenge funds which are received by community and third sector organisations in the course of developing their final proposal. However, the allocation of this funding was detailed in a Memorandum of Understanding which stated:
	"will ensure sufficient resources are provided to engage in meaningful community participation and activities to ensure that any final bid has the clear understanding and support of those whom it may affect."
	Part of the judging criteria for the winning digital challenge proposal will be the level of engagement and partnership role with community and third sector organisations. We will not have this information until all the bids have been evaluated post their submission date of 19 January 2006 and until the winner is determined in spring 2007.
	Government are committing £3 million to the final winning digital challenge proposal (in addition to the programme costs, the development of the on and off -line Digital Inclusion Network and the £1.2 million for the winning 10 regional proposals). The bidders are also expected to attract up to £4 million of match funding from industry. The digital challenge team are currently working with industry to determine the exact amount of cash and kind.

Empty Properties

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of empty public sector  (a) residential properties and  (b) commercial and industrial properties in each Government office region in England in April.

Yvette Cooper: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The number of vacant public sector dwellings in each government office region in England, as at 1 April 2006, is tabled as follows. These figures are for all vacant dwellings, including dwellings that have been empty for less than six months, some for less than one month. Totals may not equal the sum of individual region's figures, due to rounding.
	
		
			  Government office region  Local authority  Registered social landlord  'Other' public sector  Total public sector 
			 North East 4,360 3,240 920 8,500 
			 North West 6,300 7,950 920 15,200 
			 Yorks and Humber 6,140 2,880 410 9,400 
			 East Midlands 4,290 1,240 610 6,100 
			 West Midlands 3,920 4,550 170 8,600 
			 East 3,110 1,870 1,050 6,000 
			 London 10,110 4,410 1,150 15,700 
			 South East 2,780 2,470 1,280 6,500 
			 South West 1,890 1,570 840 4,300 
			 England 42,900 30,200 7,300 80,400 
			  Sources: 1. Communities and Local Government's Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return (HSSA) for LA and 'other' public sector tenures. Data are provisional and do not take account of Audit Commission's Comprehensive Performance Assessment process. 2. Housing Corporation's Regulatory Statistical Return for RSL tenure. 
		
	
	 (b) Information on the number of vacant public sector commercial and industrial properties is not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

Empty Properties

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether councils are allowed to use  (a) the full electoral register and  (b) council tax records to identify potential homes for empty dwelling management orders.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 November 2006,  Official Report, column 1563W.

Energy Performance Certificates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information an Energy Performance Certificate will contain.

Yvette Cooper: The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requires Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) to include the energy performance of a building calculated according to a methodology based on the general framework in the directive's annex and reference values such as current legal standards and benchmarks.
	The directive also requires EPCs to be accompanied by recommendations for the cost-effective improvement of energy performance.

Energy Supplies

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) decision-making process and  (b) likely time scale is for the public inquiry into the onshore grid connection at Cleve Hill for the Thames Array.

Yvette Cooper: Following refusal of their planning application by Swale borough council on 3 July 2006, London Array Ltd. lodged an appeal in September 2006. This appeal has been recovered for decision by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The public inquiry has been timetabled for 6 March 2007 and is forecasted to last for two weeks. Following the close of the public inquiry, a statutory target for issuing the final decision will be set.

Homelessness

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of people classed as homeless and in priority need are under the age of 25 years in each local authority area; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected in respect of households rather than persons. The number of households accepted by local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty, is collected by age bands, and includes those applicants who are aged between 16 and 24 years old.
	A table has been placed in the Library showing total acceptances of applicants aged between 16 and 24 years old, along with the total number of households accepted and the proportion of those where the applicant was 16-24, by each local authority, for the most recent quarter for which information is available—April to June 2006.
	In total, 7,800 applicants aged between 16 and 24 years old were accepted as owed a main homelessness duty between April and June 2006, which made up40 per cent. of the total acceptance figure (19,430 households).
	The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced on 14 November an increased focus on tackling youth homelessness, including a commitment to end the use of bed and breakfast hotels for 16 and 17 years olds, except in emergencies, by 2010; establishing supported lodging schemes across the country; and a drive to improve access to mediation schemes.

Houses in Multiple Accommodation

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what measures her Department is taking to ensure the effective implementation of the mandatory licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation.

Yvette Cooper: The Department wrote to all local authorities in England setting out the framework for taking forward HMO licensing under the Housing Act 2004.
	In addition it has also provided funding for the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) to help with the delivery of training programmes to which all local housing authorities were invited, both for front line staff and strategic policy makers. The training addressed the immediate training needs for implementation of licensing and promoting best practice over the long term. It also encouraged local authorities to create good working relationships with landlords.
	The Department has worked with the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) which has extended its remit to include advice and co-ordination of best practice for regulation in the private rented sector and to provide support to local authorities on the licensing provisions of the2004 Act.
	A dedicated departmental website has been set up at
	www.propertylicence.gov.uk
	to provide advice to local authorities, landlords and tenants on licensing issues.
	Meetings have also been held with key stakeholder groups to develop the detail of the licensing provisions, and the Department employed secondees from a local authority and landlord association during implementation to advise the Department and work with stakeholders on implementation.

Houses in Multiple Accommodation

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions her Department has had with local authority representatives on implementation of the licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation.

Yvette Cooper: The Department held discussions with key stakeholder groups, including representatives from local authorities, on the mandatory licensing provisions in the Housing Act 2004. The Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) has extended its remit to include regulation in the private rented sector and will provide support to local authorities on implementation of the licensing provisions of the Act. This follows on from the training provided by the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) for local authority staff.
	The Department has also worked closely with those local authorities that expressed an early interest in the selective licensing provisions in the Act post implementation, and these discussions helped form the guidance for local authorities that was published on14 November 2006.

Housing

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many families were in temporary accommodation in each year since 1979-80.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member on 8 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 1577- 78W.

Housing

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what percentage of homes were sold to first time buyers in the last 10 years.

Yvette Cooper: The total number of homes sold to first time buyers is not collected. Although data on all house sales in England and Wales are collected by the Land Registry there is no information collected on buyers.
	Information on mortgages to first time buyers and former owner occupiers for house purchases in the UK is collected by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). This includes total number of loans to first time buyers and percentage of loans to first time buyers. This information is published on their website at:
	http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/filegrab/2ML2.xls?ref=4624.

Housing

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeless applicants to local authorities had a prison as their last known address in each of the last three years.

Yvette Cooper: Information about the main reason for loss of last settled home is collected in respect of those households who were accepted as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty. It does not cover reason for loss for those applicant households who were not accepted.
	In 2002 the priority need categories were extended to include those vulnerable as a result of having spent time in custody or on remand, and since Quarter 2 2005 we have separately identified those whose main reason for loss of last settled home was leaving prison or remand.
	In 2005-06, 860 out of the total of 93,980 households who were accepted as owed a main homelessness duty had the main reason for loss of last settled home as leaving prison or remand.

Housing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many completed sales through  (a) shared ownership and  (b) key worker schemes were funded by (i) the Government and (ii) the Housing Corporation in each year from 1991-92 to 1996-97.

Yvette Cooper: The following table shows completed shared ownership sales by housing associations funded by Government through Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme (ADP) and Local Authority Social Housing Grant (LASHG) for each year 1991-92 to 1996-97. There were no other publicly funded shared ownership schemes.
	
		
			  Shared ownership completions 
			   ADP  LASHG 
			 1991-92 1,065 364 
			 1992-93 3,517 295 
			 1993-94 7,990 247 
			 1994-95 11,112 492 
			 1995-96 10,471 622 
			 1996-97 6,448 629 
			  Source: Housing Corporation 
		
	
	There were no specific key worker schemes over this time period.

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities are using the new prudential borrowing framework for housing purposes; and what the scale of their borrowing is in each case.

Yvette Cooper: This information is not collected centrally.

Housing

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the void turnaround time was for  (a) council flats and  (b) housing association properties in Bristol in each year since 2001.

Yvette Cooper: The average void re-let times for council homes in Bristol since 2001 are as follows. The data is collected in respect of the whole stock. Separate figures are not available for flats.
	
		
			   Days 
			 2000-01 41 
			 2001-02 38 
			 2002-03 38 
			 2003-04 40 
			 2004-05 27 
			 2005-06 24 
		
	
	The average void re-let times for housing association properties in Bristol are as follows. Data are not available for the period 2000-01 to 2003-04.
	
		
			   Days 
			 2004-05 63 
			 2005-06 53

Local Government

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many targets her Department sets for local authorities; and what they are.

Phil Woolas: The Department for Communities and Local Government has set three national targets for local authorities. Details are set out as follows:
	By 2007-08, each local authority to achieve total efficiency gains equivalent to 7.5 per cent. of their baseline expenditure in 2004-05;
	By 2010, all social housing to meet minimum standards of decency. Details available at http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1152190
	By 2010, 70 per cent. of vulnerable households in the private sector to live in a decent home.
	In addition, a further three targets have been set for fire and rescue authorities:
	By 2010, reduce the number of accidental fire-related deaths in the home by 20 per cent.;
	By 2010, achieve a 10 per cent. reduction in deliberate fires;
	By 2010, no local fire and rescue authority to have a fatality rate, from accidental fires in the home, of more than 1.25 times the national average.
	Annual targets are also set for specified local authorities requiring them to process planning applications within a prescribed period of time.
	Targets are additionally set through Local Area Agreements (LAAs). These are three-year agreements, based on local community strategies, which set out the priorities for a local area.
	There are also a number of floor targets, setting minimum standards that every area should meet, which have been set by central Government as part of each Spending Review since 2000. These floor targets now cover six thematic areas: crime, education, housing, employment, health and liveability, and are designed to help reduce the gap between the most deprived neighbourhoods and the rest. Details of these floor targets, showing changes made to the targets and where targets have been rolled over or removed at each Spending Review, are available via the HMT website at the following addresses, and are made available in the Library of the House:
	Changes from 2000-02 SR:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk./Spending_Review/spend_sr02/psa/spend_sr02psatargets.cfm
	Changes from 2002-04 SR:
	http://performance.treasury.gov.uk/recontopublishsr02to04.pdf
	The local government White Paper, "Strong and Prosperous Communities", published on 26 October, set out proposals for a new performance framework for local authorities and their partners. As part of the new framework, the number of targets for each area will be limited to around 35, plus the 18 statutory early years and performance targets from the Department for Education and Skills, agreed through the LAA.
	Targets will reflect the agreed set of national outcomes and will be set against the approximately 200 national indicators that will be determined through next year's Comprehensive Spending Review.

Local Government

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in what circumstances a local authority is able to impose penalties on contractors who fail to complete works to an agreed deadline.

Phil Woolas: Local authorities are responsible for taking their own procurement decisions subject to the requirements of Best Value legislation and to the EU/UK regulatory framework. However, generally speaking, parties to a contract may agree inclusion within contracts of mechanisms by which sums of money may be paid as compensation for a late or failed delivery. The sum must be a genuine pre-estimate of loss to be upheld by the courts.

Local Government

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been awarded to Westminster city council under the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund since its inception; and what amount has been allocated for 2007-08.

Phil Woolas: Westminster city council received the following allocations through the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund since its inception in 2001-02:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2001-02 748,000 
			 2002-03 1,123,000 
			 2003-04 1,497,000 
			 2004-05 1,497,000 
			 2005-06 1,497.000 
			 2006-07 3,055,379 
		
	
	A further £3,562,712 will be received in 2007-08, making a total allocation of £12,980,091 over seven years.

Local Government

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assets are held by each regional local government pension scheme; and how many members there are in each regional local government pension scheme.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 7 December 2006
	The market value of the assets held by the Local Government Pension Scheme fund authorities in England as at 31 March 2006 and the number of active, deferred and pensioner members of those funds is shown in the following table. The data are derived from annual returns submitted to the Department by LGPS administering authorities in England.
	
		
			  Local authority  Number of active members  Number of pensioners: retired employees or dependants  Number of former members entitled to deferred benefits  Market value at end of year (£000) 
			 Bath and North East Somerset UA 34,618 17,743 18,165 2,043,304 
			 Bedfordshire 15,721 9,660 9,315 980,356 
			 Berkshire 16,859 9,363 10,355 1,376,608 
			 Buckinghamshire 16,884 9,599 9,613 1,077,856 
			 Cambridgeshire 21,515 10,071 16,410 1,270,646 
			 Cheshire 31,807 17,622 13,960 2,171,422 
			 Cornwall 15,917 7,093 7,370 919,515 
			 Cumbria 17,563 10,017 6,566 1,093,374 
			 Derbyshire 34,847 18,066 12,037 1,920,422 
			 Devon 35,023 19,212 15,229 1,985,968 
			 Dorset 22,720 11,112 8,924 1,257,329 
			 Durham 18,704 13,625 7,225 1,333,700 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire UA 35,163 17,588 15,655 1,839,699 
			 East Sussex 21,907 12,164 12,273 1,595,781 
			 Essex 40,297 23,830 20,650 2,795,041 
			 Gloucestershire 17,901 8,622 8,593 876,872 
			 Hampshire 47,939 24,470 25,289 2,713,627 
			 Hereford and Worcester 18,793 10,597 8,278 1,149,634 
			 Hertfordshire 25,599 17,125 15,532 1,962,323 
			 Isle of Wight UA 4,783 2,480 2,374 238,939 
			 Kent 39,399 24,840 21,905 2,375,106 
			 Lancashire 52,292 31,290 26,458 3,477,527 
			 Leicestershire 30,395 14,668 16,405 1,984,639 
			 Lincolnshire 20,187 8,477 12,805 1,062,399 
			 Middlesbrough UA 26,457 14,817 10,119 1,830,067 
			 Norfolk 23,998 13,111 11,441 1,712,619 
			 North Yorkshire 27,987 11,159 10,903 1,150,528 
			 Northamptonshire 18,147 9,263 8,290 1,046,480 
			 Northumberland 9,583 5,747 4,600 612,345 
			 Nottinghamshire 40,729 20,233 18,427 2,250,837 
			 Oxfordshire 19,771 7,881 8,399 958,085 
			 Shropshire 14,102 6,398 6,303 852,118 
			 Somerset 18,463 8,818 9,025 982,601 
			 Staffordshire 38,405 18,311 17,948 2,061,958 
			 Suffolk 16,584 8,938 6,762 1,182,526 
			 Surrey 22,762 15,015 16,620 1,617,747 
			 Warwickshire 13,388 6,706 5,335 945,000 
			 West Sussex 22,446 11,585 10,830 1,446,091 
			 Wiltshire 19,186 8,409 10,489 1,048,377 
			 Merseyside Pension Fund 49,721 37,579 21,066 4,040,929 
			 Tameside 102,707 71,970 58,165 8,943,861 
			 Tyne and Wear Superannuation Fund 48,986 29,563 18,887 3,419,433 
			 West Midlands Pension Fund 104,414 57,328 57,434 6,900,987 
			 West Yorkshire Superannuation Fund 92,487 53,287 51,237 6.616,032 
			 Camden 5,914 5,176 5,790 744,851 
			 City of London 3,559 3,061 2,447 446,644 
			 Greenwich 6,091 4,886 3,076 696,911 
			 Hackney 4,363 5,811 4,963 615,882 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 4,700 3,694 3,410 431,250 
			 Islington 5,417 4,718 4,361 662,210 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 3,206 2,036 2,515 378,515 
			 Lambeth 4,471 5,958 5,304 677,408 
			 Lewisham 6,400 5,353 5,859 675,298 
			 Southwark 6,526 5,667 4,640 692,394 
			 Tower Hamlets 5,567 3,517 3,788 648,826 
			 Wandsworth 4,820 4,021 4,862 659,195 
			 Westminster 4,027 4,608 4,592 643,711 
			 Barking and Dagenham 5,241 3,973 2,999 497,858 
			 Barnet 6,755 5,525 4,556 497,782 
			 Bexley 4,588 3,309 2,672 391,078 
			 Brent 5,495 4,870 4,639 456,753 
			 Bromley 4,116 3,898 2,526 336,267 
			 Croydon 6,607 5,188 3,537 501,214 
			 Ealing 6,628 5,670 4,400 516,595 
			 Enfield 5,378 3,374 2,421 500,779 
			 Haringey 7,176 5,427 4,426 573,458 
			 Harrow 5,615 3,537 3,692 410,393 
			 Havering 5,613 4,391 2,580 340,946 
			 Hillingdon 6,120 4,364 3,437 543,622 
			 Hounslow 6,014 4,283 4,423 408,276 
			 Kingston upon Thames 3,976 2,580 2,397 291,986 
			 Merton 3,347 2,640 2,075 283,881 
			 Newham 6,889 5,612 3,808 552,033 
			 Redbridge 4,797 3,556 2,453 317,876 
			 Richmond upon Thames 3,264 2,625 2,516 311,300 
			 Sutton 3,755 2,412 2,051 277,173 
			 Waltham Forest 6,544 5,228 4,067 443,526 
			 London Pensions Fund Authority 21,037 32,235 20,853 3,474,013 
			 South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority 661 1,024 555 153,205 
			 South Yorkshire Pensions Fund Authority 53,473 30,125 23,413 3,423,481 
			 West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority 1,284 2,952 1,108 369,955

Local Government

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many days were lost to  (a) long-term and  (b) short-term sick leave in each local authority in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Best Value Performance Indicator 12 provides information on sickness absence records for each local authority. Figures from 2000-01 are available at www.bvpi.gov.uk.
	Figures for 2005-06 have recently been collated and will be added shortly. Sickness absence data was not collected by the Department prior to 2000. Councils are not required to report the split between long-term and short-term sick leave.

Local Government

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authority wards have received funding from urban regeneration programmes since 1979; under which programmes each received funding; and how much each received.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not available in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Historically the Department has not collated this information at ward level, as all funds were allocated by individual projects/programmes rather than by ward.

Local Government

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Tamworth Borough Council received from central government in real terms in each of the past six years.

Phil Woolas: The central Government grant received by Tamworth borough council expressed in terms of 2005-06 prices in each of the past six years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   2005-06 prices (£000) 
			 2000-01 5,392 
			 2001-02 5,528 
			 2002-03 5,537 
			 2003-04 6,426 
			 2004-05 5,730 
			 2005-06 6,523 
			  Source: Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn (RO) returns and HM Treasury GDP deflators 
		
	
	The real terms figures have been calculated using the latest GDP deflators.
	Government grant is defined here as the sum of specific grants inside aggregate external finance (i.e. revenue grants paid for councils' core services), formula grant (revenue support grant, redistributed business rates and police grant) and Greater London Authority (GLA) grant.
	Comparisons across years may not be valid due to changing local authority responsibilities. The information provided excludes capital funding and funding for local authorities' housing management responsibilities. The information also excludes those grant programmes, such as European funding, where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.

Local Government

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate of the number of A8 migrants in local authority areas will be used in the calculation of support grant to local authorities in England;
	(2)  how she plans to reflect the impact of A8 migration on the allocation of funds to local authorities in England.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 29 November 2006
	The 2007-08 Local Government Finance Settlement is the second year of a two-year settlement period. Provisional allocations for 2007-08 were therefore first published in December 2005. Multi-year settlements have been welcomed by local government.
	For the Local Government Finance settlements, we have to use the best data that are available at the time, and that treat all local authorities on a consistent basis.
	Therefore, for the measure of the resident population in the 2007-08 settlement, we have used the 2003-based sub-national population projection for 2007 as the key measure of population, and the mid-2004 estimate of population within other indicators used in the top-up formulae. These were the best data available at the time.
	As multi-year settlements bring stability and predictability to local authority funding, we do not intend to change the settlement from that previously announced, other than in exceptional circumstances.
	The next round of multi-year settlements, for 2008-09 to 2010-11, will be made in late 2007. The best data on population that will be available at that point will be the 2004-based sub-national population projections and the mid-2006 estimate of population.

Local Government

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on  (a) electricity and  (b) gas by each local authority in each year since 2001; what the average expenditure on electricity and gas was by local authorities in each year; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not available for all local authorities in England. The England estimates of local authority expenditure on  (a) electricity and  (b) gas and other energy costs are tabled as follows.
	
		
			  £000 
			   Energy costs 
			   Electricity  Gas and other( 1) 
			 2001-02 304,002 151,698 
			 2002-03 302,066 201,290 
			 2003-04 342,258 187,822 
			 2004-05 361,070 222,481 
			 2005-06 432,081 305,133 
			 (1) Figures collected for 2001-02 were for gas only while from 2002-03 onwards figures include gas and other energy costs. As 2002-03 was the first year of the new definition, the figure for that year may be less reliable.  Source: Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn (RO) suite of forms—Subjective Analysis Return (SAR).

Mayor of London

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost was to the public purse of the case against the Mayor of London by the Standards Board and the Adjudication Panel.

Phil Woolas: The costs incurred by the Standards Board in respect of the case against the Mayor of London currently stand at £63,000. This figure does not include the costs incurred by the Mayor, which have yet to be finalised, but which will be met by the Standards Board in due course. The cost to the Adjudication Panel for England in respect of this case was £14,000.

Newcastle City Council Finance

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what population figures for the City of Newcastle upon Tyne were used to calculate Newcastle City Council's Revenue Support Grant for  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05 and  (c) 2005-06; and what population projections will be used for the grant in each of the next three financial years.

Phil Woolas: Mid-year population estimates published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) were used in the calculation of formula grant in 2003-04 to 2005-06. The revised mid-2001 and mid-2002 population estimates were incorporated through amending reports. The following table shows the population figures for the City of Newcastle upon Tyne that were used:
	
		
			  Settlement year  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  Population data used ( 1) Mid-2001 ( 1) Mid-2002 ( 1) Mid-2003 
			 Resident population 266,241 266,012 266,589 
			 Population of working age 161,534 162,318 163,934 
			 Resident population under 18 years of age 55,565 55,086 54,477 
			 Resident population aged 3 to 15 40,868 40,154 39,350 
			 Resident population aged 13 to 19 25,373 25,807 25,699 
			 Resident population aged 18 to 64 167,988 168,543 169,779 
			 Resident population aged 65 and over 42,688 42,383 42,333 
			 Resident population aged 75 to 84 15,261 15,373 15,395 
			 Resident population aged 85 and over 5,018 4,927 4,883 
			 (1 )Estimates  Note:  Unrounded population figures are used in settlement calculations, though ONS publish rounded population data.  Source:  ONS 
		
	
	Following consultation, the Government adopted the policy of multi-year formula grant settlements from 2006-07. The use of population projections as the key measure of population was a part of this change. The first multi-year formula grant settlement under that policy concerns the financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08.
	For the 2006-07 settlement, the best available population projections were the ONS 2003-based sub-national population projections. From this dataset, the projected population for 2006 were used.
	As 2007-08 is the second year of a multi-year settlement and was calculated at the same time as the 2006-07 settlement, the provisional 2007-08 settlement also uses the 2003-based sub-national population projections. From this dataset, the projected population for 2007 are used. The Government are currently consulting on the 2007-08 provisional settlement and will take into account all relevant representations made during the consultation period before making the final settlement.
	For the 2008-09 to 2010-11 settlements, consistent with the Government's policy on multi-year formula grant settlements, we intend to use the ONS's 2004-based sub-national population projections. We intend to use the projected population for 2008, 2009 and 2010 in each of the respective settlements. The Government will consult fully with local authorities before making these settlements.

Persimmon Homes

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on how many occasions in the last 12 months  (a) she,  (b) ministerial colleagues and  (c) her officials have had meetings with (i) Persimmon Homes and (ii) the company's representatives.

Yvette Cooper: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, has had no meetings with Persimmon Homes or their representatives within the last 12 months. I am not aware of any meetings that my ministerial colleagues or officials have had with Persimmon Homes or their representatives over the same period. Senior Persimmon employees have attended events and workshops where Ministers and officials have spoken.

Planning Policy Guidance 3

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations she has received on Planning Policy Guidance 3.

Yvette Cooper: The Department received a range of representations on the proposed replacement of Planning Policy Guidance note 3 with Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) when it was published in draft for consultation last year. Final PPS3 was published on 29 November, together with the Summary of consultation responses. Copies of both documents are in the Library of the House.

Recruitment

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2006,  Official Report, column 532W, on departmental staff, how many applications the Department has received for the position of Director General of Equalities; and when she expects the position to be filled.

Angela Smith: 53 candidates applied for the position of Director General of Equalities. Appointment procedures are in the final stages and it is expected that the position will be filled in the new year.

Recruitment

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent on recruitment advertising in each of the last three years.

Angela Smith: Communities and Local Government was created on 5 May 2006, so figures for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are included in the figures in the table.
	As required under the Civil Service Recruitment Commissioners' Code, vacancies in Communities and Local Government are advertised in accordance with the principles of merit, open and fair competition. Posts may be advertised, based on the individual circumstances, both within and outside the civil service and in a variety of media such as the press, the internet or local jobcentres.
	The total cost of recruitment advertising in each of the last three years is as follows (note the figures are given as expenditure in financial years). The majority of these posts were classed as specialist i.e. Senior Research Officers, Assistant Librarians, Accountants, Auditors and Statistical Officers.
	
		
			   £ 
			 1 April 2006 to 30 November 2006 24,943.00 
			 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 44,377.34 
			 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 48,472.26 
			 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 56,648.22

Religiously Aggravated Offences

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many church buildings have been damaged in faith hate crimes in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not held centrally.

Religiously Aggravated Offences

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many reports of faith hate incidents there have been in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: Statistics on religiously aggravated offences in England and Wales cannot be separated from recorded crime statistics for racially and religiously aggravated offences.
	The police treat faith hate incidents as racist incidents. Their definition when recording such incidents is, "any incident which is regarded as racist by the victim or any other person". This is the definition recommended by the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry.
	As a consequence, the statistics available do not distinguish between religiously and racially aggravated crime. The total number of racially or religiously aggravated offences recorded in England and Wales has risen from 31,035 in 2002-03 to 35,022 in 2003-04 and to 37,074 in 2004-05, according to the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Crime in England and Wales 2004/05".
	Placing this rise in perspective, the British Crime Survey (BCS) put racially motivated incidents at around 179,000 based on interviews in 2004-05. The estimated number of racially motivated incidents was 206,000 based on the 2003-04 interviews, and there was a similar response in 2002-03. The BCS figures for these years were not broken down by the religion of the victim.

Renewable Energy: Planning

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to ensure that the national planning regime encourages the development of  (a) micro-power energy generation and  (b) domestic wind turbines.

Yvette Cooper: The Government believe it should be made easier within the planning system to install small scale microgeneration. We are currently reviewing the regulations on what equipment a householder can install without having to apply for planning permission. Our aim is to produce a system that is both clearer and permits more microgeneration. We will be consulting on our proposals in the new year.
	More generally, the Government have made it clear to all planning authorities that they are expected to make full use of the positive approach to renewables set out in Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 22 on Renewable Energy. In particular, the Government expects all planning authorities to include policies in their development plans that require a percentage of the energy in new developments to come from on-site renewables, where it is viable. We have said we will publish for consultation by the end of the year a new PPS on climate change. This will set out how the Government expect participants in the planning process to work towards the reduction of carbon emissions in the location, siting and design of new development.

Retirement Age

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer from the Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office to the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Marsden) of 4 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 189-90W, on the retirement age, what her Department's policy is for the setting of retirement ages for staff below the senior civil service under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992.

Angela Smith: Within Communities and Local Government there is no default age for retirement for staff below the senior civil service grades allowing an individual to continue work providing they receive satisfactory reports and have a good attendance and conduct record.

Rural Areas: Maps

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she sought advice from the Council for the Protection of Rural England before announcing her decision to withdraw funding for the regular updating of rural and moorland mapping from December.

Phil Woolas: The Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) were not directly approached for their advice, however, a public consultation was run in late 2004 to gather views on the National Interest Mapping Services Agreement, including the updating of rural and moorland mapping. CPRE did not respond to this consultation. Further discussions took place with potentially affected organisations in 2006, including Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Defence.

Sexual Orientation Regulations

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will publish the Sexual Orientation Regulations in draft before they are presented to the House for ratification.

Meg Munn: Our intention is to publish the Government response to the consultation held earlier this year on proposals to prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in the provision of goods and services in good time before the regulations are laid before Parliament in time for commencement on6 April 2007.

Sexual Orientation Regulations

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Government's policy on the prohibition in England and Wales of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation is the same as that embodied in the regulations published for Northern Ireland.

Meg Munn: holding answer 4 December 2006
	The regulations to prohibit sexual orientation discrimination in the provision of goods and services in Great Britain will be brought forward under Section 81 of the Equality Act 2006. Separate regulations are being made for Northern Ireland under Section 82 of the Equality Act because Northern Ireland's anti-discrimination framework is distinct from that which applies to the rest of Great Britain. However, the regulations that will apply to Great Britain share their overarching policy aim with The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 that were laid before the House on 24 November. That goal is to eliminate unfair discrimination faced by lesbians, gay men and bisexual people when accessing goods and services across the whole of the United Kingdom.

Sexual Orientation Regulations

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions her Department has had on the likely impact of the Sexual Orientation Regulations on  (a) fostering agencies,  (b) Christian conference centres and  (c) religious people involved in providing services for wedding ceremonies.

Meg Munn: Ministers and officials have discussed the likely impact of the Sexual Orientation Regulations with a wide range of interest groups. This has included meetings with a number of organisations representing religious interests about the impact of the regulations in these areas.

Special Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of her Department's civil servants work full-time to support departmental special advisers; and what the salary is of each such civil servant.

Angela Smith: Three members of staff are employed to support both special advisers and policy advisers to Ministers in Communities and Local Government. Individual civil servants' salary details are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.

Statistics

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department and its predecessors spent on statistics relating to the work of her Department in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: There is no definition of the term "statistics relating to the work of the Department" and no centrally held information on either the volume or costs of statistics published each year on this basis.
	Estimates for the annual costs of national statistics are contained in the relevant National Statistics Annual Report and Accounts, which are available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=1051.
	Copies are also available in the Library for the reference of Members.
	The last year these were produced was 2004-05.

Supporting People Programme

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the supporting people settlement for 2007-08 was for  (a) Leicestershire,  (b) Nottinghamshire and  (c) Derbyshire; and what the population is in each county.

Phil Woolas: The supporting people settlement for the three counties is shown in the table:
	
		
			  County  Settlement (£) 
			 Leicestershire 7,364,026 
			 Nottinghamshire 26,222,437 
			 Derbyshire 17,481,867 
		
	
	The population figures are:
	
		
			  County  Population 
			 Leicestershire 627,800 
			 Nottinghamshire 762,700 
			 Derbyshire 747,500

Tablighi Jamaat

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the extent to which Tablighi Jamaat poses a security risk to the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 28 November 2006
	The Government has no reason to believe that Tablighi Jamaat poses a security risk.

Telecommunications Masts

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education and Skills about local authorities deriving income from contracts with mobile phone companies to erect masts in schools.

Phil Woolas: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on allowing mobile phone operators to erect masts in schools in order to obtain revenue for local authorities.

Telecommunications Masts

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much income was derived by local authorities from mobile phone companies in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is notheld centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library the minutes of the board meetings ofthe Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership on (a) 8 February 2006,  (b) 29 March 2006 and (c) 10 May 2006; and what the reason is for the delay in placing these minutes in the Library.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 4 December 2006
	The Board of the Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership (TGSEP) resolved to place copies of their minutes from 19 July 2006 onwards in the Library of the House. Their release is a matter for the Board of TGSEP to determine, which is independent from the Department.

Tobacco: Fire Prevention

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions about reduced ignition propensity cigarettes officials in her Department have had with representatives of the Tobacco Manufacturers Association.

Angela Smith: Following the Government's Written Ministerial Statement on Reduced Ignition Propensity Cigarettes on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 67WS, the Tobacco Manufacturers Association arranged a presentation for officials from the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Health on 5 October, setting out their concerns regarding the introduction of reduced ignition propensity of cigarettes and a possible European technical standard.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Valuation Office Agency has paid to  (a) Cole Layer Trumble and  (b) Tyler Technologies to date; and what the expected expenditure to each is for the remainder of 2006-07.

Phil Woolas: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) does not have a contract with Cole Layer Trumble (CLT). The contract is between Capgemini (IT providers to HMRC and the VOA) and CLT who are a division of Tyler Technologies. The total spend with CLT from July 2004 to October 2006 is £3,544,294. Any anticipated expenditure for the remainder of 2006-07 is unlikely to exceed £200,000.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library the training material produced bythe Valuation Office Agency's (VOA) Training Development (Human Resources) section on Dwellinghouse Coding available on the VOA's intranet.

Phil Woolas: The Valuation Office Agency's Training and Development (Human Resources) Manual, referred to in the Agency's Council Tax Manual no longer exists. The Agency's Council Tax Manual will be updated to reflect this.

West Yorkshire Pension Fund

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the assets of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund.

Phil Woolas: The market value of the assets held by the West Yorkshire Pension Fund of the Local Government Pension Scheme as at 31 March 2006 was £6.6 billion. The data are derived from the annual return submitted to the Department by the West Yorkshire Pension Fund Authority.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Armed Forces

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the armed forces have received criminal convictions whilst serving in Northern Ireland in each of the past six years for which figures are available.

Adam Ingram: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of armed forces personnel servingin Northern Ireland who have received criminal convictions in magistrates and Crown courts in Northern Ireland in each of the past six years is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of convictions 
			 2001 242 
			 2002 281 
			 2003 300 
			 2004 282 
			 2005 158 
			 2006(1) 83 
			 (1)As at 30 November